| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the hack of TrendNet's security cameras happened within the same organization. The incident involved hackers breaching TrendNet's website in 2012 and accessing live-camera feeds from 700 users, leading to unauthorized surveillance of private areas in users' homes [21646]. TrendNet faced a complaint from the US Federal Trade Commission for misrepresenting its software as "secure" and had to settle the claim by agreeing to certain terms, including undergoing an independent assessment of its security programs annually for 20 years [21646].
(b) There is no specific information in the provided article about the software failure incident happening again at multiple organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in this case can be attributed to the design phase. The incident occurred due to vulnerabilities in TrendNet's software that allowed hackers to breach the website and access live-camera feeds from users' wireless cameras. The FTC complaint highlighted that the hacker was able to bypass users' login credentials and access the compromised live feeds, leading to unauthorized surveillance of private areas in users' homes [21646]. This indicates a failure in the design of the software's security measures, which ultimately resulted in the breach.
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. The breach and unauthorized access to users' live-camera feeds were a result of the operation of the system, where hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the software to gain access to sensitive video feeds. This highlights the importance of secure operation and maintenance procedures to prevent such incidents from occurring [21646]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
The software failure incident involving TrendNet's security cameras can be categorized as both within_system and outside_system:
(a) within_system: The software failure incident occurred within the system as a result of vulnerabilities in TrendNet's software that allowed hackers to breach the website and access live-camera feeds from users' wireless cameras [21646].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident was also influenced by factors outside the system, such as the actions of the hackers who exploited the vulnerabilities in TrendNet's software to access and publish private live feeds from the cameras on the Internet [21646]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions. The breach of TrendNet's website and the subsequent access to live camera feeds from 700 users' cameras were carried out by a hacker who was able to bypass users' login credentials and access the live feeds without human participation [21646]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The incident involved a hack where a hacker breached TrendNet's website and accessed live-camera feeds from vulnerable wireless cameras. The breach allowed unauthorized access to private areas of users' homes and surveillance of individuals engaging in daily activities [21646].
(b) The software failure incident was primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. The complaint filed by the US Federal Trade Commission against TrendNet was related to the company allegedly misrepresenting its software as "secure." The hacker was able to breach the website, bypass login credentials, and access live-feeds from the wireless cameras, leading to the compromise of users' privacy and security [21646]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. The incident involved hackers breaching TrendNet's website and accessing live-camera feeds from 700 users' cameras, leading to unauthorized surveillance of private areas in users' homes, including infants sleeping in their cribs, young children playing, and adults engaging in daily activities. The hackers then posted information about the breach online and shared links to the compromised live feeds [21646]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident involving TrendNet's security cameras being hacked in 2012 can be attributed to poor decisions made by the company. The US Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against TrendNet for allegedly misrepresenting its software as "secure," indicating that the company made poor decisions regarding the security claims of its products [21646]. Additionally, the fact that hackers were able to breach the website, bypass login credentials, and access live-feeds from the cameras suggests that there were security vulnerabilities that were not adequately addressed by the company, further pointing to poor decisions in ensuring the security of their software. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to the TrendNet security cameras can be attributed to development incompetence. The US Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against TrendNet for allegedly misrepresenting its software as "secure," indicating a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security of their products [21646]. Additionally, the hacker was able to breach the Web site, bypass users' login credentials, and access live-feeds from the wireless cameras, highlighting potential security vulnerabilities introduced during the development process. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident involving TrendNet's security cameras being hacked in 2012 can be considered as a temporary failure. This incident was not a permanent failure as it was caused by specific circumstances, such as a hacker breaching the website and accessing live camera feeds due to vulnerabilities in the software and security measures [21646]. The company took immediate action by updating its firmware and reaching out to users who owned the vulnerable security cameras to address the issue. Additionally, TrendNet agreed to settle the claim with the FTC and committed to improving its security practices, indicating that the failure was not permanent but rather a result of specific vulnerabilities that were addressed. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in this case did not involve a crash where the system lost state and did not perform any of its intended functions. The incident was related to a security breach that allowed unauthorized access to live camera feeds [21646].
(b) omission: The software failure incident did involve an omission where the system omitted to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Hackers were able to breach the TrendNet website, bypass users' login credentials, and access live feeds from the wireless cameras, leading to compromised live feeds being displayed publicly [21646].
(c) timing: The software failure incident was not related to timing issues where the system performed its intended functions too late or too early. The focus was on the security breach and unauthorized access to live camera feeds [21646].
(d) value: The software failure incident did involve a failure related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The breach led to private areas of users' homes being exposed, allowing unauthorized surveillance of individuals engaging in daily activities [21646].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit behavior characteristic of a byzantine failure, where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident primarily involved a security breach and unauthorized access to camera feeds [21646].
(f) other: The software failure incident did not exhibit any other specific behavior beyond the security breach and unauthorized access to live camera feeds as described in the articles [21646]. |