| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization:
The article mentions that the home affairs department, responsible for the SkillsSelect platform, was criticized for the data breach incident. Privacy experts highlighted that this breach was just the latest in a series of cybersecurity blunders by the Australian government, citing previous incidents such as My Health Record, robodebt, and the 2016 census [99712].
(b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization:
The article does not provide specific information about similar incidents occurring at other organizations. Therefore, it is unknown if this particular type of software failure has happened at multiple organizations based on the provided article. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to design factors introduced during the development phase. The breach in the home affairs department's SkillsSelect platform was a result of a data exposure issue where personal details of migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia were revealed due to a flaw in the system's design. The system stored expressions of interest publicly, allowing users to view sensitive information with just a few clicks, including unique identifiers composed of partial name information and numbers. This design flaw led to the exposure of over 774,000 unique ADUserIDs and other personal details [Article 99712].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident can also be linked to operational factors. The breach was exacerbated by the operation of the system, as the publicly available app on the home affairs website allowed users to search and access the database containing sensitive information. The misuse or unintended use of the system by allowing public access to such detailed personal information contributed to the severity of the incident. The operational oversight of not identifying the breach internally and the subsequent need to take the platform offline for maintenance further highlights operational shortcomings in handling the situation [Article 99712]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to contributing factors that originated from within the system. The breach occurred within the SkillsSelect platform hosted by the employment department, where personal details of migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia were exposed due to a flaw in the system's design. The ADUserIDs, which were unique identifiers composed of partial name information and numbers, were easily accessible, allowing users to view a range of fields including birth country, age, qualifications, marital status, and application outcomes [99712]. The incident was a result of the system's design and implementation flaws, making sensitive information easily accessible within the system itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case appears to be primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a data breach in the home affairs department's SkillsSelect platform. The breach exposed the personal details of 774,000 migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia due to the platform displaying sensitive information publicly, allowing users to easily access and search through the data [99712].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. Privacy experts criticized the department for its poor track record in handling personal information, citing previous blunders such as the My Health Record, robodebt, and the 2016 census. Additionally, experts pointed out that the presence of ADUserIDs in the system appeared to be a mistake or a "stuff-up," indicating a potential oversight or error in the system design or implementation [99712]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The incident primarily revolved around a data breach in the SkillsSelect platform hosted by the employment department, which exposed the personal details of migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia [99712].
(b) The software failure incident in the article was related to a data breach in the SkillsSelect platform, which was hosted by the employment department. The breach allowed unauthorized access to sensitive information of applicants, including their ADUserIDs, birth country, age, qualifications, marital status, and the outcome of their applications. This breach was a result of a flaw in the software system that stored and displayed this information, making it accessible to users who could manipulate filters to reveal detailed personal data of individuals [99712]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case appears to be non-malicious. The incident was a data breach that exposed the personal details of migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia due to a flaw in the SkillsSelect platform hosted by the employment department [99712]. The breach allowed users to access sensitive information such as ADUserIDs, birth country, age, qualifications, marital status, and application outcomes. The breach was not caused by malicious intent but rather by a security oversight in the system that made this information publicly accessible.
(b) The incident does not indicate any malicious intent behind the software failure. It seems to be a case of unintentional exposure of sensitive data due to a flaw in the system's design or implementation, rather than a deliberate act to harm the system or its users. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the data breach of the home affairs department's SkillsSelect platform can be attributed to poor decisions. The incident involved the exposure of personal details of 774,000 migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia due to the public database containing unique ADUserIDs and other sensitive information being accessible on a publicly available app [99712]. Additionally, privacy experts criticized the department for its consistently poor track record in handling personal information, citing previous blunders such as My Health Record, robodebt, and the 2016 census, which indicates a pattern of poor decision-making in data security matters. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. The breach exposing the personal details of migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia was a result of a cybersecurity blunder by the home affairs department. Privacy experts criticized the department for the breach, highlighting a long line of cybersecurity blunders, indicating a lack of professional competence in handling sensitive data [99712].
(b) Additionally, the incident can also be considered accidental as the presence of ADUserIDs in the publicly available app was described as a "stuff-up" by a privacy academic. The exposure of this information could allow for the extraction of personal details of applicants, indicating an accidental introduction of factors leading to the breach [99712]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case appears to be temporary. The article mentions that when Guardian Australia contacted the home affairs department responsible for SkillsSelect and the employment department hosting the app, the platform was taken offline and is "currently undergoing maintenance" [99712]. This indicates that the failure was not permanent but rather a result of specific circumstances that led to the platform being temporarily shut down for maintenance. |
| Behaviour |
crash, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The platform responsible for the data breach, SkillsSelect, was taken offline and is "currently undergoing maintenance" after the breach was discovered [99712].
(b) omission: There is no specific mention of the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) in the articles.
(c) timing: There is no indication in the articles that the system performed its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value failure. The breach resulted in the exposure of personal details of migrants and aspiring migrants to Australia, including partial names and the outcome of applications, which was not the intended function of the system [99712].
(e) byzantine: There is no indication in the articles that the system behaved erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as a failure due to a security vulnerability that allowed unauthorized access to sensitive information stored in the system, leading to a data breach [99712]. |