| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the deletion of thousands of crime records from an outdated IT system developed in the 1970s has happened before within the same organization. The incident was caused by human error and management failures within the Police National Computer (PNC) team [114621]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase was primarily attributed to the outdated IT system developed in the 1970s. The incident involved the accidental deletion of thousands of crime records from the Police National Computer (PNC) due to a single error in a piece of code made during system improvements required by law [114621].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase was linked to management failures within the PNC team. The independent report highlighted that managers were slow to act when the deletions were discovered, and it took nearly a month for police forces to be informed about the incident. Additionally, the report pointed out that the expertise and closeness of the teams involved in running the PNC increased the risk that their work would be accepted rather than checked by leadership [114621]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the deletion of police records from the outdated IT system was primarily within the system. The incident was attributed to "human error" and management failures within the PNC team [114621]. The report highlighted that the deletions were caused by a single error in a piece of code made by engineers while trying to make improvements to the system. Additionally, the report pointed out that the team operating the system had a close-knit expertise base, which increased the risk of their work being accepted without proper leadership challenge. This indicates that the failure was mainly due to factors originating from within the system itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily attributed to "human error" and management failures rather than non-human actions [114621]. The incident occurred when a PNC engineer accidentally deleted a significant number of offence records, fingerprint records, and DNA records due to a single error in a piece of code while trying to make improvements to the system. The report highlighted failures in the management of the PNC team, emphasizing the need for urgent reforms and an update or replacement of the outdated IT system developed in the 1970s. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The incident was primarily caused by "human error" and management failures, with the deletion of thousands of crime records being attributed to a single error in a piece of code made by a PNC engineer [114621].
(b) The software failure incident in the article was primarily attributed to software-related factors. The incident involved the accidental deletion of crime records due to an error in a piece of code while engineers were trying to make improvements to the system. The report highlighted the inflexibility of the old IT system when changes were required and the reliance on a diminishing skills base of software engineers who knew how it worked [114621]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the deletion of thousands of crime records from an outdated IT system was classified as non-malicious. The incident was attributed to "human error" and management failures rather than any malicious intent [114621]. The report highlighted that the deletions were a result of a single error in a piece of code made by a PNC engineer while trying to make improvements to the system as required by law. The independent inquiry did not blame an individual but pointed to failures in the management of the PNC team. Additionally, there was a mention of the expertise and closeness of the teams involved in running the PNC, which increased the risk that their work would be accepted rather than checked by leadership, indicating a non-malicious nature of the incident. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the accidental deletion of thousands of crime records from the Police National Computer (PNC) was primarily attributed to "human error" and management failures. An independent report on the incident highlighted that the deletions were a result of a single error in a piece of code made by a PNC engineer while trying to make improvements to the system as required by law. The report also pointed out failures in the management of the PNC team, indicating poor decisions or oversight in the handling of the incident [114621]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident was attributed to "human error" and management failures, indicating a failure due to contributing factors introduced due to lack of professional competence by humans or the development organization [114621].
(b) The incident involved an accidental deletion of 209,550 offence records, associated with 112,697 individuals, along with other crucial data, by a PNC engineer while trying to make improvements to the system required by law [114621]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident discussed in the article was temporary. It was caused by a single error in a piece of code made by a PNC engineer while trying to make improvements to the system. The incident resulted in the accidental deletion of thousands of crime records, but the files were eventually recovered [114621]. |
| Behaviour |
crash |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The incident involved the accidental deletion of a significant number of offence records, fingerprint records, and DNA records due to a single error in a piece of code while engineers were trying to make improvements to the system. This resulted in the system losing critical data and not performing its intended function of storing and managing crime records [114621]. |