Recurring |
unknown |
(a) This specific incident of Microsoft's online store in India being hacked and customer usernames and passwords being stolen is a unique event for Microsoft as reported in the article [10162]. There is no mention of a similar incident happening again within the same organization.
(b) The article [10162] does not provide information about a similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be attributed to the fact that the passwords on Microsoft's online store in India were stored in clear text and not encrypted. This design flaw allowed the hackers to easily access and steal usernames and passwords of the site's customers [10162].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be linked to the misuse of the system by the hackers who exploited the unencrypted passwords to gain unauthorized access to the site. This misuse of the system led to the theft of customer information and the subsequent shutdown of the Microsoft Store India [10162]. |
Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident involving the hacking of Microsoft's online store in India was primarily due to factors originating from within the system. The incident occurred because the passwords were stored in clear text and not encrypted, making it easier for hackers to access and steal customer information [10162]. This lack of proper security measures within the system allowed the hackers to compromise the site and steal usernames and passwords.
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also highlighted external factors contributing to the breach. A Chinese group of hackers known as Evil Shadow Team claimed responsibility for the hack, indicating that external malicious actors targeted the system [10162]. Additionally, the incident shed light on the broader issue of internet security awareness in India, suggesting that external factors such as the overall cybersecurity landscape in the country could have played a role in the vulnerability of the system [10162]. |
Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to the hacking carried out by a Chinese group of hackers known as Evil Shadow Team. The hackers were able to access and steal usernames and passwords from Microsoft's online store in India. The passwords were found to be stored in clear text and not encrypted, making them vulnerable to such attacks [10162].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The incident also highlights potential human-related factors contributing to the failure. The lack of encryption for the stored passwords on the website was a critical oversight, as it made the sensitive information easily accessible to the hackers. Additionally, the lack of awareness about internet security in the country, as mentioned by Indian IT specialists, could be seen as a human factor contributing to the vulnerability of the system [10162]. |
Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily attributed to a lack of security in the software system rather than hardware issues. The incident involved a hack on Microsoft's online store in India, resulting in the theft of usernames and passwords of customers. The hackers were able to access unencrypted usernames and passwords stored on the site, indicating a vulnerability in the software system's security protocols [10162].
(b) The software failure incident is directly related to software issues. The hackers exploited a vulnerability in the software system by accessing unencrypted usernames and passwords stored on the site. This indicates a flaw in the software's security measures, as passwords should have been encrypted to prevent such unauthorized access [10162]. |
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. The Microsoft online store in India was hacked by a Chinese group of hackers known as Evil Shadow Team. The hackers stole usernames and passwords of the site's customers and posted screenshots of the unencrypted credentials on their blog, indicating their intent to harm the system. The group took credit for the hack and even left a message on the hacked website stating, "Unsafe system will be baptized" [10162]. This incident clearly demonstrates a malicious intent to compromise the security of the Microsoft online store in India. |
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
The software failure incident involving the hacking of Microsoft's online store in India was primarily due to poor decisions related to cybersecurity practices. The incident occurred because the hackers were able to access unencrypted usernames and passwords stored on the site, indicating a lack of proper security measures in place [10162]. Additionally, the fact that passwords were stored in clear text and not encrypted highlights a significant oversight in safeguarding customer data, reflecting poor decisions in terms of data protection and security protocols. |
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence:
The incident of Microsoft's online store in India being hacked and resulting in the theft of usernames and passwords can be attributed to development incompetence. The passwords were stored in clear text and not encrypted, which is a significant security oversight. This lack of encryption allowed the hackers to easily access and steal the sensitive information of the site's customers [10162].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors:
There is no specific mention in the provided article indicating that the software failure incident was due to accidental factors. |
Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 10162 was temporary. The Microsoft online store in India was hacked by a Chinese group of hackers, resulting in the theft of usernames and passwords of the site's customers. Microsoft took down the hacked site and replaced it with a message informing users that the store was currently unavailable and that they were working to restore access as quickly as possible. Customers were also advised to reset their passwords and change them on other sites if they had reused the same credentials. This indicates that the incident was temporary and not a permanent failure [10162]. |
Behaviour |
crash |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The Microsoft online store in India was hacked, resulting in the theft of usernames and passwords of the site's customers. As a response to the hack, Microsoft took down the hacked site and replaced it with a message informing users that the Microsoft Store India is currently unavailable while they work to restore access [10162]. This indicates a failure of the system losing its state and not performing its intended functions due to the security breach. |