| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization:
The Fairfax County Public Schools experienced a second major computer problem this year. In April, the school district faced a flawed rollout of its online learning due to massive technological glitches, privacy breaches, and online harassment, which forced the district to halt classes for several days to address the issues [Article 105061].
(b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no information in the provided article to suggest that a similar incident has happened at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system was due to a hack where hackers placed ransomware on some of its systems [105061]. This incident was a result of a security breach introduced by external factors (hackers) rather than internal design flaws or system updates. The attack led to the theft of data and the threat of publication or blocking access unless a ransom was paid.
(b) The operation of the system was impacted by the ransomware attack, potentially interrupting online learning and affecting the resumption of online learning the following week [105061]. The district was working with security experts and the FBI to determine the impact on its data and was coordinating efforts with law enforcement authorities to address the issue. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident involving the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system was caused by hackers who attacked the system and placed ransomware on some of its systems [105061]. The district mentioned that they were victimized by cyber criminals who have been connected to dozens of ransomware attacks in other school systems and corporations worldwide. Additionally, the district had previously experienced a major computer problem earlier in the year related to a flawed rollout of online learning, which was plagued by massive technological glitches, privacy breaches, and online harassment [105061].
(b) outside_system: The attack on the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system was carried out by external hackers belonging to the group MAZE, who successfully infiltrated the school district's site with ransomware [105061]. The district is working with security experts and the FBI to determine the impact on its data and is coordinating efforts with law enforcement authorities to prosecute the individuals or groups responsible for the attack [105061]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 105061 was due to non-human actions, specifically a cyberattack by hackers who placed ransomware on the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system. The ransomware attack was carried out by the hacker group MAZE, which successfully infiltrated the school district's site with ransomware, leading to data theft and threats of publication or blocking access unless a ransom was paid. This incident was not caused by human actions within the organization but rather by external malicious actors [105061]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 105061 was due to a cyber attack by hackers who placed ransomware on the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system. This attack led to the theft of data and the threat of publication or blocking access unless a ransom was paid. The incident was attributed to external factors (hackers) compromising the hardware and software systems of the school district [105061].
(b) The software failure incident was primarily caused by the ransomware attack, which is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid. This attack was a result of vulnerabilities in the software systems of the school district that allowed the hackers to infiltrate and compromise the system [105061]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is malicious. Hackers attacked the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system and placed ransomware on some of its systems, with the objective of stealing data and threatening publication or blocking access unless a ransom is paid. The hacker group MAZE successfully infiltrated the school district's site with ransomware and offered proof of the attack by uploading stolen data [105061]. The district is working with security experts and law enforcement authorities to investigate the scope of the attack and recover from the situation, indicating that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by humans with the intent to harm the system. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was not due to poor decisions but rather a deliberate attack by hackers who placed ransomware on the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system [105061]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system being attacked by hackers and having ransomware placed on some of its systems can be attributed to development incompetence. This is evident from the fact that the school district had previously faced a major computer problem in April due to a badly flawed rollout of its online learning system, which was plagued by massive technological glitches, privacy breaches, and online harassment. The attempt to introduce distance learning in response to the coronavirus pandemic was marred by these issues, indicating a lack of professional competence in handling the software systems [105061].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental to some extent, as the district mentioned that they believed they may have been victimized by cyber criminals who have been connected to other ransomware attacks in school systems and corporations worldwide. The attack by the hacker group MAZE was not something the district intentionally caused or expected, indicating an accidental intrusion leading to the software failure incident [105061]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is temporary. The incident involved hackers attacking the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system and placing ransomware on some of its systems. The district was working with security experts and the FBI to investigate the scope of the attack and determine the impact on its data. The district also mentioned coordinating efforts with law enforcement authorities and notifying affected parties based on the results of the investigation. Additionally, the district stated that they believed they may have been victimized by cyber criminals connected to other ransomware attacks in other school systems and corporations worldwide [105061]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system was not described as a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [105061].
(b) omission: The incident involved ransomware being placed on some of the school district's systems, indicating a failure of the system to prevent unauthorized access and protect data [105061].
(c) timing: There was no indication in the article that the software failure incident was related to timing issues where the system performed its intended functions but too late or too early [105061].
(d) value: The incident involved ransomware being used to steal data, indicating a failure of the system to protect information and perform its intended functions correctly [105061].
(e) byzantine: The article did not mention any behavior of the software failure incident that would classify it as a byzantine failure with inconsistent responses and interactions [105061].
(f) other: The software failure incident involved a cyberattack by hackers who infiltrated the school district's site with ransomware, leading to data theft and potential disruption of online learning [105061]. |