| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The article mentions that the ransomware attack on Düsseldorf University Hospital was due to hackers exploiting a well-known vulnerability in a piece of VPN software developed by Citrix [104831].
- The incident highlights the consequences of ignoring or postponing warnings about vulnerabilities, as attackers gained access to internal networks and systems, leading to the paralysis of IT systems [104831].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The article mentions that ransomware attacks are one of the most serious threats in cybersecurity, with dozens of high-profile attacks occurring so far in the year [104831].
- It also references a previous incident involving technology giant Garmin, which paid hackers a multi-million pound sum after its IT and production systems were taken offline in a ransomware attack [104831]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 104831 occurred due to a design-related contributing factor introduced by a well-known vulnerability in a piece of VPN software developed by Citrix. The article mentions that hackers took advantage of this vulnerability to gain access to the hospital's internal networks and systems, ultimately leading to the ransomware attack that disabled the hospital's computer systems [104831].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 104831 also involved an operation-related contributing factor introduced by the operation of the system. The patient died during the cyber-attack on the hospital while doctors attempted to transfer her to another hospital due to the inoperability of the hospital's computer systems caused by the ransomware attack. This highlights how the operation of the system was impacted by the attack, leading to severe consequences [104831]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident at Düsseldorf University Hospital was caused by hackers who disabled computer systems through a ransomware attack, scrambling data and making computer systems inoperable [104831]. The attackers exploited a well-known vulnerability in a piece of VPN software developed by Citrix, gaining access to internal networks and systems, which ultimately led to the failure within the hospital's system [104831]. The incident highlights the serious threat posed by ransomware attacks in cybersecurity, where attackers demand payments in exchange for a software key to unlock IT systems [104831].
(b) outside_system: The hackers responsible for the ransomware attack on Düsseldorf University Hospital reportedly did not intend to target the hospital but were aiming for a different university [104831]. After realizing their mistake, the hackers provided the hospital with the decryption key without demanding payment before disappearing [104831]. This aspect of the incident suggests that the contributing factors originating from outside the hospital's system played a role in the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a cyber-attack by hackers who disabled computer systems at Düsseldorf University Hospital. The ransomware attack scrambled data and made computer systems inoperable, leading to the patient's death during a transfer to another hospital [104831].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. The hackers, although unintentionally targeting the hospital, initiated the cyber-attack that resulted in the disabling of the hospital's computer systems. Additionally, the article mentions that the hackers gave the hospital the decryption key without demanding payment once they realized their mistake before disappearing, indicating a human decision in the resolution of the incident [104831]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 104831 was primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. The incident involved a ransomware attack on Düsseldorf University Hospital, where hackers disabled computer systems, leading to the death of a patient during a transfer to another hospital. The attack scrambled data and made computer systems inoperable, highlighting the vulnerability of the hospital's IT systems to cyber threats [104831]. The attack was attributed to a well-known vulnerability in a piece of VPN software developed by Citrix, which the hackers exploited to gain access to internal networks and systems, ultimately leading to the tragic outcome [104831].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 104831 was also related to contributing factors originating in software. The ransomware attack on the hospital's computer systems disrupted operations and led to the hospital's IT staff needing to rebuild systems with the assistance of Germany's national cyber-security authority [104831]. The incident underscored the serious consequences of cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of organizations taking immediate measures to protect against known vulnerabilities in software to prevent such incidents from occurring [104831]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. Hackers intentionally disabled computer systems at Düsseldorf University Hospital through a ransomware attack, leading to the death of a patient during a transfer to another hospital [104831]. The attackers demanded a ransom in exchange for a software key to unlock the IT systems, indicating a deliberate act to harm the hospital's operations. Additionally, the incident involved a well-known vulnerability in a VPN software developed by Citrix, which the attackers exploited to gain access to the hospital's internal networks and systems [104831]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The hackers behind the ransomware attack on Düsseldorf University Hospital made a mistake in targeting the hospital, as they were reportedly trying to target a different university [104831].
- The attackers, upon realizing their mistake, provided the hospital with the decryption key without demanding payment before disappearing [104831].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
- The ransomware attack on the hospital was described as accidental, with reports suggesting that the hackers did not intend to attack the hospital [104831].
- Former chief executive of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, Ciaran Martin, mentioned that the tragedy was likely caused by a ransomware attack by criminals rather than an intentional attack by a nation state or terrorists [104831]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 104831 can be attributed to development incompetence. The incident occurred due to hackers exploiting a well-known vulnerability in a piece of VPN software developed by Citrix. The president of Germany's national cyber-security authority highlighted that they had warned about the vulnerability as early as January and emphasized the importance of taking immediate appropriate measures to address such risks. The incident underscores the consequences of ignoring or postponing necessary security measures [104831].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 104831 also has elements of an accidental failure. Local reports suggest that the hackers did not intend to attack the hospital and were actually targeting a different university. Once the hackers realized their mistake, they provided the hospital with the decryption key without demanding payment. This accidental targeting resulted in serious consequences, including the death of a patient during the cyber-attack [104831]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident at Düsseldorf University Hospital was temporary. The hospital's computer systems were disabled during a ransomware attack, leading to the patient's death while being transferred to another hospital [104831]. The attackers scrambled data and made the computer systems inoperable, but they eventually provided the decryption key to the hospital without demanding payment once they realized their mistake [104831]. The incident was a result of hackers exploiting a well-known vulnerability in a piece of VPN software developed by Citrix [104831]. The hospital's IT staff, with the help of Germany's national cyber-security authority, were working to rebuild the systems [104831]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is related to a crash as the hackers disabled computer systems at Düsseldorf University Hospital, making the computer systems inoperable [104831].
(b) omission: The software failure incident could also be related to omission as the patient died while doctors attempted to transfer her to another hospital due to the disabled computer systems at Düsseldorf University Hospital [104831].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not directly related to timing issues as there is no mention of the system performing its intended functions too late or too early in the article [104831].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not directly related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of the value provided by the system [104831].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not directly related to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions as described in a byzantine failure [104831].
(f) other: The software failure incident could be categorized under "other" as it involves a life being lost as a result of a hack, which is a severe consequence beyond the typical software failure behaviors [104831]. |