| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of the biometric machines in Afghanistan's presidential election had happened before within the same organization. The article mentions that during the parliamentary election, which took place before the presidential election, the biometric machines malfunctioned or failed to work altogether, leading to chaos and delays in the voting process [89381]. This indicates that the software failure incident with the biometric machines occurred again within the same organization responsible for conducting the elections.
(b) The software failure incident of the biometric machines in Afghanistan's presidential election is not explicitly mentioned to have happened at multiple organizations or with their products and services in the provided article [89381]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to the design phase. The article mentions that during the parliamentary election, the biometric machines malfunctioned or failed to work altogether, leading to chaos. This failure was blamed on the machines' performance, incomplete voting lists, and delays in holding the election, indicating issues related to the design and development of the system [Article 89381].
(b) Additionally, there are indications of operational issues contributing to the software failure incident. The article mentions that during the presidential election, the machines still left voters waiting a long time to cast their ballots, with machines taking up to 10 minutes to identify a voter. Problems of identification were often the result of registration issues, and some women were deterred by the machines' facial recognition software, highlighting operational challenges in using the system effectively [Article 89381]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the biometric machines used in Afghanistan's presidential election was primarily within the system. The article mentions that during the parliamentary election, the machines malfunctioned or failed to work altogether, leading to chaos. However, for the presidential election, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) provided more training to staff, issued spare batteries, and had paper registration forms as backup in case biometric verification failed. The article also highlights that the technology improved slightly for the presidential election, indicating that efforts were made to address the issues within the system [Article 89381].
(b) outside_system: The article does not provide explicit information about the software failure incident being primarily due to contributing factors originating from outside the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to non-human actions. The article mentions that the biometric machines used in Afghanistan's presidential election were aimed at preventing fraud but still left voters waiting a long time to cast their ballots. The machines were reported to have improved from the previous parliamentary election where many malfunctioned or failed to work altogether. The issues during the parliamentary election were attributed to the machines' performance, incomplete voting lists, and delays in holding the election, indicating that the failure was primarily due to technical issues rather than human actions [Article 89381]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions that spare batteries were issued for the biometric devices at each polling center due to chronic power shortages in the country, indicating a hardware-related issue [89381].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The article highlights that the biometric machines, made by Germany's Dermalog Identification Systems, use fingerprint scans and photos to identify voters. Issues such as machines taking up to 10 minutes to identify a voter and problems with facial recognition software deterred some women from using the machines, indicating software-related challenges [89381]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. The failure was related to the performance of biometric machines used in Afghanistan's presidential election, which aimed to prevent fraud. The machines experienced issues such as malfunctioning, long wait times for voters, and problems with identification, particularly with women who cover their faces. The article mentions that the chaos during a previous parliamentary election was blamed on the machines' performance, incomplete voting lists, and delays, indicating that the failure was not due to malicious intent but rather technical and operational challenges [Article 89381]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
The software failure incident in Afghanistan's presidential election was partly attributed to poor decisions made during the parliamentary election. During the parliamentary poll, the biometric machines malfunctioned or failed to work altogether, leading to chaos and delays in the voting process. The chaos during the parliamentary election was blamed on the machines' performance, incomplete voting lists, and delays in holding the election [Article 89381].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
The software failure incident in Afghanistan's presidential election also involved accidental decisions or unintended consequences. For example, problems with identification were often the result of registration issues, and some women were deterred by the machines' facial recognition software, especially in conservative areas where women cover their faces outside the home. These unintended consequences contributed to the challenges faced during the voting process [Article 89381]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. The article mentions that during the parliamentary election, the biometric machines malfunctioned or failed to work altogether, leading to chaos and delays in holding the election. However, for the presidential election, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) provided more training to staff and issued spare batteries for the devices, indicating an effort to address the previous failures caused by lack of professional competence [Article 89381]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the biometric machines used in Afghanistan's elections can be categorized as a temporary failure. During the parliamentary election, the machines malfunctioned or failed to work altogether, leading to chaos and delays in the voting process [89381]. However, for the presidential election, improvements were made such as providing more training to staff, issuing spare batteries, and having paper registration forms as backup in case of biometric verification failure. These measures indicate that the issues faced during the parliamentary election were addressed to some extent, making the failure temporary rather than permanent. |
| Behaviour |
crash, timing |
(a) crash: The article mentions that during the parliamentary election, the biometric machines malfunctioned or failed to work altogether, leading to chaos during the vote [89381].
(b) omission: The article does not specifically mention instances where the system omitted to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The article mentions that the machines could still take up to 10 minutes to identify a voter, indicating a timing issue in the performance of the biometric identification process [89381].
(d) value: The article does not mention the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The article does not mention the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The article does not provide information on any other specific behavior of the software failure incident. |