| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of a data breach due to hackers stealing unencrypted user data has happened again within the same organization, Cupid Media. The incident occurred in January 2013, where up to 42 million users' names, dates of birth, email addresses, and passwords were stolen [23062]. Cupid Media did not admit to the breach until it was exposed by security researcher Brian Krebs. The company stored user data in plain text, similar to the breach that occurred at Adobe, which used some encryption on the data. Cupid Media's managing director admitted to the breach and mentioned taking actions to notify affected customers and reset passwords for a particular group of user accounts. The company has since started encrypting passwords using techniques called salting and hashing to enhance security measures [23062].
(b) The software failure incident of a data breach due to hackers stealing unencrypted user data has also occurred at other organizations. The article mentions that Adobe had disclosed a breach earlier in November, where user information was stolen from their servers. Unlike Cupid Media, Adobe used some encryption on the data. The article highlights the importance of encryption in safeguarding sensitive data and mentions that many companies shy away from encryption due to perceived cost or complexity, despite its effectiveness in preventing data theft [23062]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is primarily related to the design phase. The incident occurred due to the lack of encryption of user data by Cupid Media, which runs niche online dating sites. The company stored user data, including passwords, in plain text, making it vulnerable to hackers who were able to steal up to 42 million users' unencrypted information [23062].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. Cupid Media's failure to encrypt user data and the misuse of sensitive information by hackers during the operation of the system led to the data breach. Additionally, the company's response to the breach, such as only notifying active users and not taking adequate security measures initially, contributed to the operational failure aspect of the incident [23062]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident involving the hacking of Cupid Media's user data was primarily due to factors originating from within the system. Cupid Media stored user data, including passwords, in plain text without encryption, making it vulnerable to hacking [23062]. The company only notified active users affected by the breach, neglecting to inform inactive, disabled, and test accounts, similar to Adobe's approach [23062]. Cupid Media started encrypting passwords using salting and hashing techniques after the breach to enhance security [23062].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also involved contributing factors originating from outside the system, specifically the actions of hackers who broke into Cupid Media's system to steal user data [23062]. The breach was discovered by security researcher Brian Krebs, indicating an external source identified the vulnerability [23062]. Additionally, the leaked data revealed that some users had registered with US military and government email addresses, suggesting potential security concerns beyond Cupid Media's system [23062]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically the hacking of Cupid Media's servers by external hackers. The hackers were able to steal unencrypted user data such as names, dates of birth, email addresses, and passwords from Cupid Media's servers [23062].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. Cupid Media's decision to store user data in plain text without proper encryption measures contributed to the severity of the breach. Additionally, the delay in admitting the breach and notifying affected users could be considered as human actions that impacted the incident [23062]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The main cause of the incident was the hacking of Cupid Media's servers, leading to the theft of unencrypted user data [23062].
(b) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. Cupid Media stored user data, including passwords, in plain text, making it vulnerable to hacking. The lack of encryption on the data was a significant software-related factor that led to the breach [23062]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 23062 was malicious in nature. The incident involved hackers breaking into Cupid Media's system and stealing unencrypted user data, including names, dates of birth, email addresses, and passwords. The hackers targeted the company's servers and accessed sensitive information with the intent to exploit it for their gain. This malicious act resulted in a significant data breach affecting up to 42 million users [23062]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the breach at Cupid Media can be attributed to poor decisions made by the company in terms of data security practices. Cupid Media stored user data, including passwords, in plain text without encryption, making it vulnerable to hackers [23062]. This poor decision to not encrypt sensitive user information led to the successful breach and theft of up to 42 million users' data.
(b) Additionally, the failure to encrypt passwords was highlighted as a mistake or unintended decision that contributed to the incident. The breach exposed the fact that Cupid Media had not encrypted passwords using industry-standard techniques like salting and hashing, which could have rendered the stolen data useless to hackers [23062]. This accidental decision to neglect proper encryption practices played a significant role in the software failure incident. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as Cupid Media stored user data, including passwords, in plain text without encryption [23062]. This lack of encryption was a significant security oversight that allowed hackers to easily access and steal sensitive user information. Additionally, the article mentions that Cupid Media only started encrypting passwords using techniques like salting and hashing after the breach occurred, indicating a lack of proactive security measures in place prior to the incident.
(b) The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is highlighted by the fact that Cupid Media did not admit to the breach until it was exposed by security researcher Brian Krebs [23062]. This delay in acknowledging the breach suggests that the company may not have been aware of the security vulnerability or the extent of the data breach until it was brought to their attention externally. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 23062 was temporary in nature. The incident involved a hack where hackers stole unencrypted user data from Cupid Media's dating sites. The breach occurred in January, but Cupid Media did not admit to it until it was exposed by a security researcher in November. Following the breach, Cupid Media took actions to notify affected customers, reset passwords, and started encrypting passwords using salting and hashing techniques to enhance security [23062]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be associated with a crash behavior as the system lost state and did not perform its intended functions due to being hacked, resulting in the theft of sensitive user data [23062].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be linked to an omission behavior as the system omitted to perform its intended function of adequately securing user data, leading to the exposure of unencrypted names, dates of birth, email addresses, and passwords to hackers [23062].
(c) timing: The timing behavior is not explicitly mentioned in the article.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be related to a value behavior as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly by storing user data in plain text instead of encrypting it, making the stolen information easily accessible to hackers [23062].
(e) byzantine: The byzantine behavior is not explicitly mentioned in the article.
(f) other: The software failure incident can be associated with other behaviors such as inadequate security measures, delayed response to the breach, and the revelation of weak password choices by users, which collectively contributed to the data breach [23062]. |