| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
In the article, it is mentioned that this isn't the first time the VA (Veterans Affairs) has had a problem with privacy. In 2012, thousands of veterans had their personal information compromised when data was released to Ancestry.com. Additionally, in 2009, the VA agreed to pay $20 million to veterans for exposing them to possible identity theft in 2006 by losing their sensitive personal information. This shows a history of privacy and software-related issues within the VA organization [23994].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no specific mention in the article about the software failure incident happening again at multiple organizations. Therefore, it is unknown if similar incidents have occurred at other organizations based on the provided information. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 23994 was primarily related to the design phase. The incident was caused by a major "defect" on the eBenefits website run by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments. Users logging in to check personal claims and benefits information were redirected to other veterans' files due to a coding software error, exposing sensitive personal information. The VA acknowledged a "software defect" and took immediate action to shut down the system to limit problems [23994]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in Article 23994 was due to a "software defect" within the eBenefits system run by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments. The incident involved a major defect on the website that led to personal information of veterans being broadcast online. The VA acknowledged the software defect and took immediate action to shut down the eBenefits system to limit any problems [23994]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was attributed to a "software defect" on the eBenefits website, leading to the exposure of thousands of veterans' personal information online [23994]. This defect resulted in veterans being redirected to other veterans' files when they logged in, exposing sensitive data such as names, addresses, bank routing numbers, and medical conditions. The VA took immediate action to shut down the system upon discovering the defect to limit further problems.
(b) The article does not provide specific details about human actions contributing to the software failure incident. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 23994 was not attributed to hardware issues but rather to a "software defect" as acknowledged by the VA. The incident was described as a major "defect" on the eBenefits website, indicating that the root cause of the failure originated in the software itself. The VA took immediate action upon discovering the software defect and shut down the eBenefits system to limit any problems [23994].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 23994 was specifically attributed to a "software defect" on the eBenefits website. The error resulted in veterans being redirected to other veterans' files when trying to access their personal claims and benefits information. The veteran who reported the issue mentioned seeing erroneous web code, indicating a coding software error as the cause of the incident. The VA's acknowledgment of the software defect and the subsequent actions taken to address it further confirm that the failure originated in the software [23994]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. It was caused by a "software defect" on the eBenefits website run by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, leading to the exposure of thousands of veterans' personal information [23994]. The incident was attributed to a coding software error that redirected users to other veterans' files, resulting in the unauthorized access to names, addresses, bank routing numbers, and medical conditions of individuals. The VA took immediate action upon discovering the defect and shut down the system to limit further problems. The VA also mentioned conducting a full review and potentially offering free credit monitoring for the affected individuals [23994]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the eBenefits website was primarily due to poor decisions made in the development and maintenance of the system. The incident was caused by a major "defect" on the website, which led to the exposure of thousands of veterans' personal information online [23994]. The VA acknowledged a "software defect" that allowed users to access other veterans' files when checking their personal claims and benefits information. This defect resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information such as names, addresses, bank routing numbers, and medical conditions [23994].
(b) Additionally, the incident highlighted mistakes and unintended consequences in the handling of veterans' data. For example, in 2012, thousands of veterans had their personal information compromised when data was released to Ancestry.com without proper authorization [23994]. Furthermore, in 2006, a VA data analyst lost a laptop and external drive containing sensitive information of millions of veterans and military personnel, leading to a data breach and potential identity theft risks [23994]. These incidents point to a history of accidental decisions and oversights in safeguarding veterans' personal data. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to development incompetence. The incident was caused by a major "defect" on a popular benefits website run by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments. Veterans who logged onto the eBenefits site to check personal claims and benefits information were redirected to other veterans' files due to a coding software error. The VA acknowledged the "software defect" and took immediate action to shut down the system to limit problems [23994].
(b) The software failure incident was not accidental but rather a result of a specific defect in the software that led to the exposure of personal information of thousands of veterans. The incident was attributed to a coding software error, indicating a lack of professional competence in the development or maintenance of the website [23994]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article was temporary. The incident was caused by a major "defect" on the eBenefits website, leading to personal information of veterans being broadcast online. The VA took immediate action upon discovering the software defect and shut down the eBenefits system to limit any problems. The incident was acknowledged as a "software defect" by the VA, indicating that it was a specific issue introduced by certain circumstances [23994]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash as the eBenefits system experienced a major "defect" that led to personal information being broadcast online and users being redirected to other veterans' files, indicating a loss of system state and failure to perform its intended functions [23994].
(b) omission: The incident can also be classified as an omission failure as users reported being redirected to incorrect files and encountering erroneous web code, indicating that the system omitted to perform its intended functions correctly at that instance [23994].
(c) timing: There is no specific 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 can be associated with a value failure as users' personal information, including names, addresses, bank routing numbers, and medical conditions, was made available due to the software defect, indicating that the system performed its intended functions incorrectly by exposing sensitive data [23994].
(e) byzantine: The article does not provide evidence of the software failure incident exhibiting a byzantine behavior with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident in the article is the unauthorized access and exposure of sensitive personal information due to the software defect, leading to a data breach and privacy violation [23994]. |