Published Date: 2021-07-12
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident involving the disruption of Iran's transport and urbanisation ministry websites and cyber-attacks on Iran's railways occurred on Saturday, as reported in Article 116561. 2. Published on 2021-07-12 07:00:00+00:00. 3. The incident likely occurred on Saturday, July 10, 2021. |
| System | 1. Websites of Iran’s transport and urbanisation ministry 2. Electronic tracking of trains across Iran 3. Computer systems related to train departures and arrivals board [116561] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. The software failure incident in Iran's transport and urbanisation ministry and railways was attributed to a "cyber-disruption" in computer systems, with reports suggesting a cyber-attack [116561]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Websites of Iran’s transport and urbanisation ministry 2. Iran’s railways 3. Electronic tracking of trains across Iran 4. Stations with hundreds of trains delayed or cancelled 5. Departures and arrivals board at a station showing cancelled trips [Cited Article: <Article 116561>] |
| Software Causes | 1. Cyber-disruption in computer systems leading to websites of Iran’s transport and urbanisation ministry going out of service [116561]. 2. Cyber-attack on Iran’s railways causing messages about alleged train delays or cancellations to be displayed on boards at stations and electronic tracking of trains to fail [116561]. 3. Widespread disruption in computer systems, likely due to a cyber-attack, leading to chaos at stations with hundreds of trains delayed or cancelled [116561]. 4. Potential state-sponsored cyber-attacks targeting Iran's nuclear fuel production efforts [116561]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. The failure incident was caused by a cyber-disruption in computer systems, leading to the websites of Iran’s transport and urbanisation ministry going out of service [116561]. 2. Messages about alleged train delays or cancellations were posted on display boards at stations across the country, indicating a cyber-attack on Iran’s railways [116561]. 3. Electronic tracking of trains across Iran reportedly failed, further exacerbating the situation [116561]. 4. The disruption in computer systems was likely due to a cyber-attack, as reported by the Fars news agency [116561]. 5. The incident resulted in unprecedented chaos at stations, with hundreds of trains being delayed or cancelled [116561]. |
| Impacts | 1. Hundreds of trains were delayed or cancelled, leading to unprecedented chaos at stations across Iran [116561]. 2. Electronic tracking of trains across Iran reportedly failed, causing further disruptions in the transportation system [116561]. 3. Messages about alleged train delays or cancellations were posted on display boards at stations, affecting passenger information and causing confusion [116561]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits to prevent cyber-attacks [116561]. 2. Conducting regular software updates and patches to address vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cyber attackers [116561]. 3. Providing cybersecurity training to employees to recognize and respond to potential threats like phishing attempts or social engineering tactics [116561]. |
| Fixes | 1. Enhancing cybersecurity measures to prevent future cyber-attacks targeting the computer systems of Iran's transport and urbanisation ministry and railways [116561]. | References | 1. Official IRNA news agency [Article 116561] 2. Fars news agency [Article 116561] 3. Islamic Republic of Iran Railways spokesman Sadegh Sekri via ISNA news agency [Article 116561] 4. Minister of telecommunications, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi [Article 116561] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: The article mentions that Iran has been the source as well as the target of attempted cyber-attacks in recent years, with some of them apparently state-sponsored attacks hampering its nuclear fuel production efforts. This indicates that Iran has faced similar incidents before [116561]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: There is no specific mention in the article about similar incidents happening at other organizations. Therefore, it is unknown if similar incidents have occurred at multiple organizations. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident in Iran's transport and urbanization ministry and railways appears to be related to the design phase. The incident was described as a "cyber-disruption" in computer systems, with reports of a widespread disruption in computer systems likely due to a cyber-attack [116561]. (b) Additionally, the incident could also be linked to the operation phase. The disruption caused chaos at stations, leading to hundreds of trains being delayed or cancelled. Messages about alleged train delays or cancellations were posted on display boards at stations across the country, indicating an impact on the operation of the railway system [116561]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles seems to be within the system. The disruption in computer systems, the failure of electronic tracking of trains, and the chaos at stations with delayed or cancelled trains all point towards internal system issues or cyber-attacks affecting the system directly [116561]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident in Iran's transport and urbanisation ministry and railways was reported to be a result of a "cyber-disruption" in computer systems, indicating a non-human action contributing to the failure [116561]. (b) However, there were also reports of messages about alleged train delays or cancellations being posted on display boards at stations across the country, indicating potential human actions introducing contributing factors to the failure [116561]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | hardware, software | (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 116561 seems to be primarily attributed to a cyber-attack, indicating a contributing factor originating in the hardware. The disruption in computer systems, electronic tracking of trains, and messages displayed on station boards all point towards external interference targeting the hardware systems. The mention of a cyber-attack causing chaos at stations and disrupting computer systems suggests that the incident was triggered by external factors related to hardware vulnerabilities [116561]. (b) The software failure incident in Article 116561 is also linked to contributing factors originating in software. The disruption in computer systems, specifically mentioned as a cyber-disruption, indicates that the software running on these systems was compromised or affected. The reports of computer systems facing unprecedented chaos, train delays, and cancellations due to a cyber-attack highlight the software's vulnerability to external interference and exploitation [116561]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | malicious | (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 116561 appears to be malicious in nature. The incident involved a cyber-attack on Iran's transport and urbanisation ministry websites, as well as disruptions in computer systems affecting the railways. Messages about alleged train delays or cancellations were posted on display boards at stations, and electronic tracking of trains across Iran reportedly failed. The Fars news agency described the situation as "unprecedented chaos" with hundreds of trains delayed or cancelled, attributing the disruption to a cyber-attack. Additionally, the minister of telecommunications, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, warned about possible cyber-attacks including ransomware [116561]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | accidental_decisions | (a) The software failure incident in Iran's transport and urbanisation ministry and railways was reported to be a result of a cyber-disruption in computer systems, with messages about alleged train delays or cancellations appearing on display boards at stations across the country. The incident was described as causing "unprecedented chaos" at stations with hundreds of trains delayed or cancelled. The disruption in computer systems was suspected to be due to a cyber-attack, indicating a deliberate and malicious intent behind the software failure incident ([116561]). (b) On the other hand, Sadegh Sekri, a spokesman for Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, stated that there had been no disruption or cyber-attack for passenger, cargo, or intercity trains. This conflicting information suggests a level of uncertainty regarding the exact cause of the disruption, leaving room for the possibility of accidental decisions or unintended consequences contributing to the software failure incident ([116561]). |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence | (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles seems to be related to development incompetence. The incident involved a cyber-disruption in computer systems of Iran's transport and urbanisation ministry, as well as cyber-attacks on Iran's railways leading to chaos at stations and delays/cancellations of hundreds of trains. The disruption in computer systems was described as "unprecedented chaos" and "widespread disruption" possibly due to a cyber-attack [116561]. This indicates that the failure was a result of factors introduced due to a lack of professional competence in handling cybersecurity measures and protecting critical systems from attacks. |
| Duration | temporary | The software failure incident reported in Article 116561 was temporary. The incident involved a cyber-disruption in the computer systems of Iran's transport and urbanization ministry, leading to the websites going out of service. Additionally, there were messages about alleged train delays or cancellations posted on display boards at stations across the country, and electronic tracking of trains reportedly failed. However, the spokesman for Islamic Republic of Iran Railways mentioned that there was no disruption or cyber-attack for passenger, cargo, or intercity trains, indicating that the software failure was temporary and did not affect all aspects of the railway operations [116561]. |
| Behaviour | crash, omission, other | (a) crash: The incident involving Iran's railways and the disruption in computer systems led to electronic tracking of trains across Iran reportedly failing, causing chaos at stations with hundreds of trains delayed or cancelled [116561]. (b) omission: The disruption in computer systems resulted in messages about alleged train delays or cancellations being posted on display boards at stations across the country, indicating an omission in providing accurate and timely information to passengers [116561]. (c) timing: There is no specific mention in the article about the software failure incident being related to timing issues. (d) value: The incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. (e) byzantine: The article does not mention the software failure incident involving inconsistent responses or interactions. (f) other: The incident involved a cyber-attack leading to a disruption in computer systems, which is not explicitly described in the provided options. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | processing_unit, network_communication | (a) sensor: The articles do not mention any specific sensor errors contributing to the software failure incident. [116561] (b) actuator: The articles do not mention any specific actuator errors contributing to the software failure incident. [116561] (c) processing_unit: The articles mention a "cyber-disruption" in computer systems, indicating a failure related to the processing unit. The disruption in computer systems was likely due to a cyber-attack. [116561] (d) network_communication: The articles mention a cyber-attack that disrupted the electronic tracking of trains across Iran, indicating a failure in network communication. Messages about train delays or cancellations were posted on display boards at stations across the country. [116561] (e) embedded_software: The articles do not specifically mention any errors related to embedded software contributing to the software failure incident. [116561] |
| Communication | connectivity_level | The software failure incident reported in Article 116561 was related to the communication layer of the cyber-physical system that failed at the connectivity_level. The incident involved a cyber-attack that disrupted the computer systems of Iran's transport and urbanization ministry, leading to the outage of websites and electronic tracking of trains across the country. Messages about train delays and cancellations were displayed at stations, indicating a network or transport layer disruption rather than a physical layer issue [116561]. |
| Application | TRUE | The software failure incident reported in the articles does not specifically mention whether the failure was related to the application layer of the cyber physical system. The articles primarily focus on the cyber-attacks targeting Iran's transport and urbanization ministry websites and railways systems, causing disruptions and chaos. Therefore, it is unknown whether the failure was related to the application layer based on the information provided in the articles. |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, delay, non-human, theoretical_consequence, other | (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - No information in the provided article suggests that people lost their lives due to the software failure incident [116561]. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - No information in the provided article suggests that people were physically harmed due to the software failure incident [116561]. (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure - No information in the provided article suggests that people's access to food or shelter was impacted due to the software failure incident [116561]. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident in Iran resulted in hundreds of trains being delayed or cancelled, causing disruption in the transportation system [116561]. (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure - The incident in Iran led to hundreds of trains being delayed or cancelled, causing significant disruptions in the transportation system [116561]. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident in Iran affected the electronic tracking of trains across the country, leading to chaos at stations with numerous trains being delayed or cancelled [116561]. (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure - The software failure incident in Iran had observable consequences such as train delays and cancellations, chaos at stations, and disruption in the transportation system [116561]. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur - The article mentions that there were warnings about possible cyber-attacks through ransomware, indicating potential consequences that did not materialize at the time of reporting [116561]. (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? - The incident in Iran resulted in a widespread disruption in computer systems, likely due to a cyber-attack, impacting the functioning of the transport and urbanization ministry websites and the railways' electronic tracking systems [116561]. |
| Domain | transportation, government | (a) The failed system was intended to support the transportation industry. The incident involved disruptions in the computer systems of Iran's transport and urbanization ministry, as well as cyber-attacks on Iran's railways, leading to delays and cancellations of hundreds of trains [116561]. |
Article ID: 116561