| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The article mentions that over the last year, several U.S. cities have been victimized by ransomware, including incidents in Baltimore, Maryland, and Durham, North Carolina [106397].
- Emotet, a trojan often used against banks, was deployed by the attackers in Louisiana, and it was also found on computers in the state [106397].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The article reports that the Homeland Security Department's cybersecurity division published an alert on October 6, stating that Emotet was being used to target numerous local government offices across the country [106397].
- U.S. officials and technology companies like Microsoft Corp are investigating if hackers targeting local government offices share connections with foreign intelligence agencies from Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea [106397]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where it mentions that the cyberattacks in Louisiana involved a tool known as a remote access trojan (RAT) called "KimJongRat." This tool was found to be previously linked to a group associated with the North Korean government. However, cybersecurity analysts noted that some of the code of this RAT had been publicized in a computer virus repository, making attribution to North Korea less certain. This indicates a potential design flaw in the tool that allowed hackers to copy and use its code [106397].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be observed in the article where it mentions that Emotet, a trojan often used against banks, was deployed by the attackers in Louisiana. When staff were hacked, their email accounts were sometimes used by the hackers to send malware to other colleagues. This indicates a failure in the operation of the system, where the attackers were able to misuse compromised accounts to spread malware within the organization [106397]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in Louisiana involved a cyberattack where hackers infected government offices with malware, including ransomware, which locks up systems and demands payment to regain access [106397]. The cyberattack was aimed at small government offices across the state, and experts investigating the incidents found a tool used by the hackers, known as "KimJongRat," which was a remote access trojan (RAT) used to infiltrate computer networks [106397]. Additionally, Emotet, another trojan often used against banks, was deployed by the attackers and found on computers in Louisiana, indicating internal system vulnerabilities [106397].
(b) outside_system: The cyberattack on the government offices in Louisiana was orchestrated by hackers from outside the system. The hackers used sophisticated tools and malware, including the KimJongRat RAT, which was previously linked to a group associated with the North Korean government [106397]. The attack was part of a larger trend where cybercriminals targeted local government offices across the country, as highlighted by the Homeland Security Department's cybersecurity division alert about Emotet being used to target numerous local government offices [106397]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Louisiana was attributed to a cyberattack involving the deployment of ransomware by hackers. The attackers used a tool known as a remote access trojan (RAT) called "KimJongRat," which was linked to a group associated with the North Korean government. This non-human action of deploying malware and ransomware led to the compromise of several government offices in northern Louisiana [106397].
(b) Human actions also played a role in the software failure incident. The attackers targeted small government offices in Louisiana with the intention of infecting computers with ransomware. Additionally, Emotet, a trojan commonly used against banks, was deployed by the attackers and found on computers in Louisiana. Furthermore, the attackers co-opted email accounts of hacked staff to send malware to other colleagues, indicating human involvement in the spread of the attack [106397]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident in Louisiana was related to a cyberattack involving ransomware targeting government offices. The attackers used a tool known as a remote access trojan (RAT), specifically the "KimJongRat," which was linked to a group associated with the North Korean government [106397]. This incident involved a sophisticated hacking group using malware to compromise systems, indicating a hardware-related failure due to the cyberattack.
(b) The software failure incident in Louisiana was also related to the deployment of malware, specifically the Emotet trojan, which was found on computers in Louisiana government offices. This trojan was used to target numerous local government offices across the country, as highlighted by the Homeland Security Department's cybersecurity division [106397]. This incident involved software-related failure due to the malicious software deployed by the attackers. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in Louisiana was malicious in nature, as it involved cyberattacks aimed at small government offices across the state with the objective of deploying ransomware, which locks up systems and demands payment to regain access [106397]. The hackers infected government offices with malware known for deploying ransomware, and the attacks were stopped in their early stages before significant harm was done [106397].
(b) On the non-malicious side, the incident involved the use of a remote access trojan (RAT) known as "KimJongRat," which was found on computers in Louisiana. Some of the code of this RAT had been publicized in a computer virus repository, making attribution to North Korea less certain [106397]. Additionally, the software failure incident involved the deployment of Emotet, a trojan often used against banks, which was found on computers in Louisiana. When staff were hacked, their email accounts would sometimes be co-opted by the hackers to send malware to other colleagues [106397]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
- The cyberattacks on small government offices in Louisiana were aimed at deploying ransomware, which locks up systems and demands payment to regain access [106397].
- The hackers infected government offices with malware known for deploying ransomware, indicating a financial motive behind the attacks [106397].
- Experts found a tool used by the hackers, "KimJongRat," which was previously linked to a group associated with the North Korean government, suggesting a sophisticated hacking group was involved [106397].
- The cyberattack was stopped in its early stages before significant harm was done, indicating that the intent was likely financial gain through ransomware deployment [106397]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Louisiana involving cyberattacks on government offices was not attributed to development incompetence but rather to a sophisticated hacking group. The hackers used tools like a remote access trojan (RAT) known as "KimJongRat" and Emotet, which are commonly associated with cybercriminal activities [106397].
(b) The incident was accidental in the sense that the cyberattacks were aimed at small government offices in Louisiana, potentially seeking financial gain through ransomware attacks. The attacks were stopped in their early stages before significant harm was done, indicating that the hackers may not have fully achieved their objectives [106397]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in the articles is temporary. The incident involved cyberattacks aimed at small government offices in Louisiana, where hackers infected some government offices with ransomware, which locks up systems and demands payment to regain access. The cyberattack was stopped in its early stages before significant harm was done [106397]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in Louisiana involving cyberattacks aimed at small government offices did not result in a crash where the system lost its state and did not perform any of its intended functions. The cyberattack was stopped in its early stages before significant harm was done [106397].
(b) omission: The incident did not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The cyberattack aimed to infect computers with ransomware, but it was difficult to determine the exact objective as the attack was stopped in its early phases [106397].
(c) timing: There is no indication in the article that the software failure incident was related to timing issues where the system performed its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) value: The incident did not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The cyberattack aimed to deploy ransomware, which locks up systems and demands payment to regain access [106397].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit behavior related to a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in Louisiana can be categorized as an attempted cyberattack involving the deployment of ransomware and other malware to compromise government offices' systems. The incident raised alarms due to the potential harm it could have caused, the involvement of a sophisticated hacking group, and the use of tools associated with the North Korean government [106397]. |