| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of the NSA attempting to infiltrate the Syrian internet and accidentally causing a complete blackout by bricking a core router at the state internet provider is a unique incident that has not been reported to have happened again within the same organization [29018].
(b) There is no information in the provided article about a similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Syria's internet outage was attributed to a design failure introduced by the NSA's attempt to infiltrate the Syrian internet. The elite NSA hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations, attempted to install an exploit in the hardware of Syria’s main internet service provider to gain mass access to internet usage and communications. However, this attempt led to a glitch that caused Syria to go offline, as a core router at the state internet provider was rendered inoperable [29018].
(b) The operation failure aspect of the incident can be seen in the aftermath of the outage. The NSA operatives were unable to fix the problem caused by the bricked router, leading to a loss of internet connectivity for Syria. This operation failure was compounded by the fact that the operatives joked about blaming the outage on Israel if they were discovered, indicating a lack of accountability and responsibility in handling the situation [29018]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Syrian internet outage was caused by a blunder within the system. Specifically, the failure was attributed to the NSA's elite hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations, attempting to infiltrate the Syrian internet by installing an exploit in the hardware of Syria’s main internet service provider. This action led to a glitch that resulted in Syria losing all connection to the internet [29018]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Syria's internet outage was primarily due to non-human actions. The incident was alleged to have been caused by a blunder from the National Security Agency's elite hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations, while attempting to infiltrate Syria's internet infrastructure. Snowden claimed that the NSA attempted to install an exploit in the hardware of Syria's main internet service provider, which resulted in a glitch that took Syria offline [29018].
(b) However, human actions also played a role in the incident. The NSA operatives were involved in the attempt to infiltrate the Syrian internet via a core router at the state internet provider. The failure of this operation caused Syria to lose all connection to the internet, leading to concerns among NSA operatives about being discovered. There were even jokes made about blaming the outage on Israel if discovered [29018]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident in Syria, where the internet was cut off, was attributed to a hardware failure. According to the articles, the incident occurred when the NSA's hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations, attempted to install an exploit in the hardware of Syria’s main internet service provider's core router. This attempt to infiltrate the Syrian internet resulted in the router being bricked, rendering it totally inoperable and causing Syria to lose all connection to the internet [29018].
(b) The software failure incident in Syria was not directly attributed to software issues but rather to a hardware failure caused by the NSA's attempt to install an exploit in the hardware of the main internet service provider's core router [29018]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Syrian internet outage in 2012 was malicious in nature. According to the article, whistleblower Edward Snowden alleged that the National Security Agency's elite hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations, attempted to infiltrate the Syrian internet by installing an exploit in the hardware of Syria's main internet service provider with the intention of gaining mass access to internet usage and communications in the country. However, this action led to a glitch that caused Syria to go offline, rendering the router inoperable and cutting off internet connectivity for the country [29018]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) poor_decisions: The software failure incident related to the NSA cutting off Syria's internet was a result of poor decisions made by the elite NSA hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations. They attempted to install an exploit in the hardware of Syria's main internet service provider to gain mass access to internet usage and communications. However, this decision led to a glitch that caused Syria to go offline instead of achieving their intended goal [29018].
(b) accidental_decisions: The software failure incident can also be attributed to accidental decisions made by the NSA operatives. The attempt to infiltrate the Syrian internet via a core router at the state internet provider resulted in the router being bricked instead, rendering it inoperable and causing Syria to lose all connection to the internet. This unintended consequence led to a situation where the NSA operatives were powerless to fix the problem, leading to concerns about being discovered [29018]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article. Edward Snowden alleged that the NSA's elite hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations, accidentally cut off Syria's internet while attempting to infiltrate it. The unit attempted to install an exploit in the hardware of Syria's main internet service provider, but instead of gaining mass visibility into internet habits, a glitch took Syria offline [29018].
(b) The software failure incident was accidental as per the article. Snowden mentioned that the NSA attempted to infiltrate the Syrian internet via a core router at the state internet provider, but something went wrong, and the router was rendered totally inoperable, causing Syria to lose all connection to the internet. This failure was not intentional, leading to an "oh shit" moment at the NSA's Tailored Access Operations center [29018]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Syrian internet outage in 2012 was temporary. The outage was caused by a glitch resulting from the NSA's attempt to infiltrate the Syrian internet, which led to the core router being rendered inoperable [29018]. The outage was not a permanent failure but rather a temporary disruption caused by specific circumstances surrounding the NSA's actions. |
| Behaviour |
crash, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in Syria's internet outage can be categorized as a crash. The incident resulted in the core router at the state internet provider being rendered totally inoperable, causing Syria to suddenly lose all connection to the internet [29018].
(b) omission: There is no specific mention of the software failure incident being due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not described as a timing issue where the system performed its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident is not attributed to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in Syria's internet outage can be categorized as a crash, where the system lost state and failed to perform its intended functions as a result of a botched attempt to infiltrate the Syrian internet [29018]. |