| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The articles report on a software failure incident at Twitter, where the former head of security, Peiter Zatko, disclosed numerous security vulnerabilities and flaws within the company's practices [131222, 130996].
- Zatko's disclosure highlighted critical security issues at Twitter, such as employees having extensive access to the live product and user data, outdated software on servers, lack of encryption, and potential risks of data breaches [131222, 130996].
- The incident involving security vulnerabilities at Twitter, including employee access to sensitive data and potential insider threats, reflects a recurring issue within the organization [131222, 130996].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The articles do not mention similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services.
- Therefore, there is no information provided in the articles about similar software failure incidents occurring at multiple organizations. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the articles. Peiter Zatko, the former Twitter chief security officer, disclosed that Twitter's security vulnerabilities were due to the company's practice of allowing thousands of employees, including all engineers, to work directly on Twitter's live product and interact with actual user data. This departure from standard practices at companies like Google and Meta, where developers use dummy data in specialized sandboxes, led to security problems such as the potential for rogue employees to access user information and serious security incidents occurring approximately once a week [130996].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the articles. It was reported that Twitter's data centers are constantly at risk of going down due to cybersecurity issues. More than half of Twitter's servers run on outdated software, lack basic security standards like data encryption, and are not supported by vendors. This situation poses a risk of Twitter's services being forced offline, potentially leading to catastrophic incidents, including the platform shutting down for months or even permanently [130996]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
From the provided articles, the software failure incident at Twitter involves contributing factors both within and outside the system:
(a) within_system: The failure within the system is evident from the allegations made by Peiter Zatko, the former head of security at Twitter. Zatko disclosed that Twitter's security practices were dangerously lacking, with critical security flaws within the company's infrastructure. For example, Zatko highlighted that Twitter allowed thousands of employees, including engineers, to work directly on the live product and interact with actual user data, leading to security vulnerabilities and incidents such as the 2020 hack of high-profile accounts [131222, 130996].
(b) outside_system: On the other hand, the failure also involves contributing factors from outside the system. Zatko's disclosure includes allegations that Twitter may have foreign intelligence agents on the payroll, potentially leading to national security risks. Additionally, there are claims that Twitter has taken money from Chinese sources and shared information that could potentially identify Chinese users circumventing government censorship, indicating external influences impacting the system [130996]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions.
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily attributed to human actions. The former Twitter chief security officer, Peiter Zatko, raised allegations about critical security flaws at Twitter, including allowing thousands of employees, including engineers, to work directly on Twitter's live product and interact with actual user data. This practice created security vulnerabilities, potential for insider threats, and incidents like the 2020 hack of high-profile accounts. Additionally, Zatko alleged that Twitter has not reliably deleted users' data, misled regulators, and failed to comply with its obligations under a 2011 privacy settlement with the Federal Trade Commission [Article 131222, Article 130996]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors originating in hardware.
(b) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. The incident involves significant security vulnerabilities in Twitter's software systems, including allowing thousands of employees, including engineers, to directly access the live product and interact with user data without proper safeguards [131222, 130996]. This expansive access led to various security problems, such as the potential for rogue employees to access user information, poorly coded updates affecting platform usability, and insider threats compromising Twitter's systems [130996]. Additionally, the incident highlights issues with data deletion practices, misleading regulators, lack of cybersecurity practices, and violations of commitments to the FTC, all stemming from software-related deficiencies within Twitter's operations [130996]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) malicious:
- The software failure incident at Twitter involved serious allegations of security vulnerabilities and flaws that could potentially allow rogue employees to access user data, install spyware, and compromise the platform [131222, 130996].
- There were claims of intentional actions by employees to install spyware on their computers at the behest of third-party organizations, indicating malicious intent [130996].
- The disclosure mentioned instances where employees had intentionally installed spyware on their computers, suggesting malicious activities within the company [130996].
(b) non-malicious:
- The software failure incident at Twitter also highlighted issues such as inadequate software updates, lack of data encryption, and poor management protocols, which could be considered non-malicious failures stemming from negligence or oversight [131222].
- Some of the security issues at Twitter were attributed to poor security practices, lack of comprehensive development environments, and inadequate monitoring, which could be categorized as non-malicious failures due to systemic weaknesses [131222]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) poor_decisions: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by poor decisions
- The software failure incident at Twitter, as reported by former Twitter chief security officer Peiter Zatko, highlights poor decisions made by the company in terms of security practices. Zatko's disclosure revealed that Twitter had fundamental security flaws, such as allowing thousands of employees, including engineers, to work directly on the live product and interact with user data without proper safeguards in place [131222, 130996].
- Zatko also pointed out that Twitter's security vulnerabilities, including the lack of secure coding practices and inadequate monitoring, could lead to serious consequences such as unauthorized access to user data, insider threats, and potential service disruptions [130996].
- Additionally, the disclosure mentioned that Twitter may have misled regulators about its handling of user data and failed to live up to its legal obligations under a 2011 privacy settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, indicating poor decisions in terms of compliance and transparency [130996].
(b) accidental_decisions: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by mistakes or unintended decisions
- The software failure incident at Twitter does not primarily point to accidental decisions or unintended mistakes as the root cause of the security issues. Instead, the focus is on deliberate actions and poor security practices that were implemented knowingly, leading to vulnerabilities and risks within the platform [131222, 130996].
- Zatko's disclosure highlighted intentional actions by employees, such as installing spyware on their computers at the behest of third-party organizations, which indicates malicious intent rather than accidental decisions [130996].
- The allegations raised by Zatko suggest a systemic issue within Twitter's security practices, indicating a pattern of behavior rather than isolated accidental decisions [131222]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The articles discuss the software failure incident related to **development incompetence**. Peiter Zatko, the former Twitter chief security officer, raised serious allegations about Twitter's security practices, highlighting fundamental, systemic issues within the company. He mentioned that engineers at Twitter had extensive access to the live software platform without proper monitoring and logging, leaving the system vulnerable to unauthorized access and changes without detection [131222, 130996].
(b) The articles also mention the software failure incident related to **accidental** factors. For example, Zatko alleged that Twitter employees had intentionally installed spyware on their computers at the behest of third-party organizations, indicating accidental introduction of security risks within the system [130996]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
The articles provide information related to the software failure incident being both temporary and potentially leading to a permanent failure:
Temporary Failure:
- The articles mention that Twitter's data centers are constantly at risk of going down due to cybersecurity issues, outdated software, and lack of comprehensive recovery processes, which could result in some or all of Twitter's services being forced offline temporarily [Article 130996].
- It is highlighted that Twitter's lack of a comprehensive recovery process could lead to a potentially catastrophic incident forcing Twitter to shut down for months or even permanently in an "existential company ending event" [Article 130996].
Permanent Failure:
- The articles suggest that Twitter's security vulnerabilities, including allowing thousands of employees to work directly on the live product and interact with user data, could lead to rogue employees snooping on user information, poorly coded updates making parts of the platform unusable, and insider threats compromising Twitter's systems, potentially leading to a permanent failure [Article 130996].
- It is mentioned that due to Twitter's weak overall cybersecurity stance, foreign governments could exploit the company, potentially causing enormous damage to US interests and national security, which could result in a permanent failure [Article 130996].
These factors indicate that the software failure incident at Twitter could have both temporary and permanent implications based on the contributing circumstances mentioned in the articles. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not specifically mention a crash of the Twitter platform as a software failure incident.
(b) omission: The articles highlight instances where Twitter failed to reliably delete users' data after they cancel their accounts, potentially due to losing track of the information, and also mention that Twitter may not be deleting the data of users who leave the platform as required [Article 130996].
(c) timing: The articles do not mention any specific instances of timing-related failures where the system performed its intended functions but at incorrect times.
(d) value: The articles discuss allegations that Twitter has misled the public about its spam account problem, potentially indicating a failure in providing accurate information [Article 130996].
(e) byzantine: The articles do not explicitly describe a byzantine behavior of the Twitter platform.
(f) other: The articles mention security vulnerabilities in Twitter's system, including allowing thousands of employees to work directly on the live product and interact with actual user data, which could lead to rogue employees snooping on user information or causing platform usability issues [Article 130996]. |