| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- Okta Inc, the company whose authentication services were compromised in this incident, has faced a breach where hackers accessed a support engineer's computer for a five-day period in mid-January [Article 125761].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The group of ransom-seeking hackers known as Lapsus$ targeted Okta customers specifically in this incident, indicating a trend of attacks on multiple organizations [Article 125761]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where Okta Inc was hit by hackers, leading to a breach in their authentication services used by companies like Fedex Corp and Moody's Corp. The breach occurred due to hackers accessing a customer support engineer's computer for a five-day period in mid-January, potentially impacting Okta customers [Article 125761].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be observed in the response from cybersecurity experts advising Okta customers to be vigilant and take necessary security measures following the breach. Additionally, companies like Cloudflare and FedEx mentioned they were investigating to ensure their environments were not compromised due to the incident [Article 125761]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident involving Okta Inc being hit by hackers and potentially affecting some customers was primarily within the system. The breach occurred when a customer support engineer's computer was accessed by hackers for a five-day period in mid-January [125761]. The hackers targeted Okta customers specifically, and Okta was in the process of identifying and contacting potentially impacted organizations [125761]. Additionally, Okta's Chief Security Officer mentioned that the potential impact to customers was limited to the access that support engineers have, indicating an internal system breach [125761]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- Okta Inc, a company providing authentication services, was hit by hackers who accessed a customer support engineer's computer for a five-day period in mid-January [125761].
- The hackers were able to reset passwords, potentially impacting some customers, although the exact nature of the impact was not clear [125761].
- Okta stated that the breach was limited to the access that support engineers have and that there were no corrective actions needed by customers [125761].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- Okta's Chief Security Officer mentioned that a customer support engineer working for a third-party contractor had his computer accessed by hackers, indicating a potential human error or oversight in maintaining security protocols [125761].
- Some outside observers criticized Okta for downplaying the attack and contradicting themselves in their statements, suggesting potential human communication or response errors [125761].
- Security experts advised Okta customers to be vigilant, implying that human actions in response to the incident were crucial for mitigating further risks [125761]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 125761 was not attributed to hardware issues. The incident involved a breach where hackers accessed a customer support engineer's computer, leading to potential impacts on Okta's customers. The breach was related to the software systems and security measures of Okta, rather than any hardware-related factors [125761].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 125761 was primarily caused by software-related factors. The breach occurred due to hackers gaining unauthorized access to Okta's systems and potentially impacting the security of the company's customers. The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in Okta's software systems and the need for enhanced security measures to prevent such breaches in the future [125761]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 125761 is malicious in nature. The incident involved hackers targeting Okta Inc, a company providing authentication services to various organizations. The hackers accessed a customer support engineer's computer, potentially impacting Okta customers by gaining unauthorized access to their networks and applications. The hackers, known as Lapsus$, specifically targeted Okta customers, indicating a malicious intent to breach the system for ransom-seeking purposes. Additionally, the group has a history of high-profile hacks and attention-seeking behavior, further emphasizing the malicious nature of the software failure incident [125761]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The software failure incident involving Okta being hit by hackers and potentially affecting some customers was not due to poor decisions made by the company itself. Instead, it was a result of hackers gaining unauthorized access to a customer support engineer's computer, leading to potential impacts on Okta customers [125761].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
- The software failure incident involving Okta being breached by hackers and potentially impacting some customers could be attributed to accidental decisions made by the third-party contractor whose computer was accessed by the hackers. This incident highlights the risks associated with accidental decisions or actions that can lead to security breaches and software failures [125761]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 125761 does not directly indicate any development incompetence as the cause of the breach. The incident was attributed to hackers gaining access to a support engineer's computer, leading to potential impacts on Okta customers. The breach was not due to incompetence but rather a targeted attack by hackers [125761].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 125761 was accidental in nature, as it was caused by hackers gaining unauthorized access to a support engineer's computer. This unauthorized access was not intentional or planned by the company but rather a result of external malicious actors exploiting a vulnerability [125761]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 125761 was temporary. The incident involved hackers gaining access to a customer support engineer's computer for a five-day period in mid-January. Okta's Chief Security Officer mentioned that the potential impact on Okta customers was limited to the access that support engineers have during that period. Additionally, the company was in the process of identifying and contacting potentially impacted customers, indicating a temporary nature of the incident [125761]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is not described as a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [Article 125761].
(b) omission: The incident does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [Article 125761].
(c) timing: The incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [Article 125761].
(d) value: The incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [Article 125761].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [Article 125761].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in the article is related to a security breach caused by hackers gaining unauthorized access to a support engineer's computer, potentially impacting Okta's customers. The incident involves unauthorized access and potential data exposure rather than a specific system behavior failure [Article 125761]. |