| Recurring |
unknown |
The articles do not provide information about a specific software failure incident happening again at one organization or multiple organizations. Therefore, the information related to the recurrence of a software failure incident within the same organization or across multiple organizations is unknown. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the ban imposed by the British Army on using WhatsApp for professional purposes due to significant security concerns [125326]. This ban was put in place because of fears that Russia was hacking the platform to acquire operationally sensitive information. The decision to ban WhatsApp and recommend the use of an alternative chat and messaging service like Signal, which is known for its enhanced security features, reflects a failure in the design phase where the security vulnerabilities of WhatsApp were exposed, leading to the need for a more secure communication platform.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the concerns raised about the misuse of WhatsApp for official business by senior government ministers, including the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and Home Secretary [125326]. Despite the security risks associated with using WhatsApp, these officials continued to use the platform for their communications, potentially exposing sensitive information to hacking attempts by foreign entities like Russia. This highlights a failure in the operation phase where the misuse of the system by high-ranking officials posed a significant security threat. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily within the system. The failure is related to security concerns within the WhatsApp messaging platform, leading to the British Army banning the use of WhatsApp for professional purposes due to fears of Russia hacking the platform to acquire sensitive information [125326]. The failure is attributed to the security vulnerabilities within the WhatsApp platform itself, prompting the need for personnel to switch to a more secure messaging service like Signal. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The article reports that there were 'significant security concerns' around using WhatsApp, leading to the British Army banning the platform over fears of Russia hacking the platform to acquire operationally sensitive information [125326].
- It is mentioned that Russia was using UK mobile phone data to select airstrike targets in Ukraine, indicating a breach or vulnerability in the software system that allowed for such data harvesting without human participation [125326].
- The ban on WhatsApp for work-related communications was due to significant security concerns, suggesting that the failure was related to vulnerabilities or risks inherent in the software itself [125326].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The article highlights that senior government ministers, including the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and Home Secretary, were using WhatsApp for official business, potentially exposing sensitive information to hacking attempts [125326].
- There is a mention of a suspected Russian agent setting up a video call with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace after hoodwinking UK officials, indicating a human error or oversight that allowed for unauthorized access to sensitive communication channels [125326].
- The decision to ban WhatsApp for work-related communications and recommend the use of an alternative chat and messaging service like Signal could be seen as a response to human actions that led to security risks associated with using WhatsApp [125326]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The articles do not mention any specific software failure incident related to hardware issues [125326].
(b) The software failure incident mentioned in the articles is related to security concerns around the use of WhatsApp, with fears that Russia may be hacking the platform to acquire sensitive information. The British Army has banned the use of WhatsApp for work-related communications due to significant security concerns [125326]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is malicious in nature. The incident involves concerns that Russia is hacking the WhatsApp platform to acquire operationally sensitive information, leading to the British Army banning the use of WhatsApp for professional purposes due to significant security concerns [125326]. The ban was put in place to prevent potential harm to the system caused by malicious actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in the software for espionage purposes. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
The intent of the software failure incident reported in the articles is related to poor_decisions. The British Army banned the use of WhatsApp over fears of Russia hacking the platform to acquire operationally sensitive information. This decision was made due to significant security concerns surrounding the use of WhatsApp for professional purposes [125326]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
- The British Army banned the use of WhatsApp over fears of Russia hacking the platform to acquire operationally sensitive information [125326].
- The ban was imposed due to "significant security concerns" around using WhatsApp, indicating a lack of trust in the platform's security measures [125326].
- The Ministry of Defence document confirming the ban highlighted the need to cease the use of WhatsApp for work-related communications immediately, suggesting a lack of confidence in the platform's ability to protect sensitive information [125326].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
- The ban on WhatsApp was not due to accidental factors but rather deliberate concerns about security risks and potential hacking by Russia [125326].
- The decision to ban WhatsApp was a proactive measure taken by the British Army to prevent potential security breaches, indicating a deliberate and intentional response to the perceived threat [125326]. |
| Duration |
unknown |
The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident being either permanent or temporary. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident related to the ban on WhatsApp by the British Army was not due to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform its intended functions [125326].
(b) omission: The ban on WhatsApp by the British Army was due to concerns about Russia hacking the platform to acquire operationally sensitive information, leading to the omission of using the messaging service for professional purposes by all personnel [125326].
(c) timing: The software failure incident related to the ban on WhatsApp did not involve timing issues where the system performs its intended functions too late or too early [125326].
(d) value: The ban on WhatsApp by the British Army was due to concerns about Russia hacking the platform to acquire sensitive information, indicating a failure related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of security and privacy [125326].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident related to the ban on WhatsApp did not exhibit behavior of the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [125326].
(f) other: The software failure incident involved a security-related failure where the system was deemed compromised due to concerns about potential hacking by a foreign entity, leading to the ban on using WhatsApp for professional purposes [125326]. |