| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to Impero Education Pro happened again within the same organization. The company Impero had faced a serious security flaw in their software, which could potentially expose children's personal information to hackers. The incident involved a flaw in the company's encryption protocols that could allow unauthorized access to computers running the Impero software [37774].
(b) There is no specific information in the provided articles about the software failure incident happening at multiple organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 37774 was primarily related to the design phase. The security flaw in Impero Education Pro was due to a serious security flaw in the company's encryption protocols, which could allow almost anyone to gain full access to computers running the software, run spyware, or access files and records stored on them. This flaw was a result of a design issue in the software's encryption protocols, making the networks' security fully compromised [37774].
(b) Additionally, there were operational issues contributing to the software failure incident. Schools using Impero's software reported that the company had been slow to deliver promised software patches, and the response from Impero regarding the security flaw was vague and required managers to contact the firm for more information. This lack of effective communication and delays in providing fixes to schools using the software without contractual support contributed to the operational failure aspect of the incident [37774]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system:
- The software failure incident with Impero Education Pro was due to a serious security flaw in the company's encryption protocols, allowing almost anyone to gain full access to computers running the software [37774].
- Impero released a temporary security patch and was working on a permanent upgrade to address the flaw within their system [37774].
- Impero emphasized that the hack on their product was illegal and malicious, indicating that the vulnerability was within their system [37774].
(b) outside_system:
- Impero claimed that the hack could only be exploited if basic network security does not exist and would require the hacker to be physically present in a school, suggesting that external factors like network security could contribute to the exploit [37774].
- The Department for Education emphasized the importance of schools ensuring sensitive pupil information is held securely, indicating that external factors related to data protection standards could also play a role in the incident [37774]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a serious security flaw in the company's encryption protocols which could allow unauthorized access to computers running the Impero software [37774].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. The security researcher Zammis Clark publicly disclosed the flaw in the company's encryption protocols instead of privately disclosing it to the company. Additionally, Impero's response to the security flaw, including their communication with schools and their legal threats against Clark, were driven by human actions [37774]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident did not occur due to hardware issues. The incident was primarily related to a serious security flaw in the Impero Education Pro software, specifically a flaw in the company's encryption protocols that could allow unauthorized access to computers running the software [37774].
(b) The software failure incident occurred due to contributing factors that originated in the software itself. The security flaw in the Impero Education Pro software, as highlighted by the security researcher Zammis Clark, allowed for potential unauthorized access, running of spyware, and accessing files and records stored on the systems [37774]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious in nature. The security researcher Zammis Clark discovered a serious security flaw in Impero Education Pro that could allow almost anyone to gain full access to computers running the software, run spyware, or access files and records stored on them [37774]. Clark publicly disclosed the flaw rather than privately disclosing it to the company, citing reasons such as being against the 'anti-extremism' features of the software and not being a customer [37774]. Impero responded by releasing a temporary security patch and working on a permanent upgrade [37774]. Impero also demanded that Clark remove his online postings about the company under the threat of legal action [37774].
(b) The software failure incident was non-malicious in the sense that Impero claimed no data had been compromised, and they had already issued a temporary fix for the vulnerability with plans for a full solution before the start of the next academic year [37774]. Impero emphasized that the hack could only be exploited if basic network security does not exist and would require the hacker to be physically present in a school [37774]. The company also mentioned that the methods used to identify and communicate the issue were not legal and they would take a firm stance against such actions [37774]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
- The incident involving Impero Education Pro's security flaw was not due to accidental decisions but rather poor decisions made by the company. The company's controversial pilot program to monitor extremism-related searches and the subsequent security flaw in their encryption protocols were contributing factors introduced by poor decisions [37774]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Impero Education Pro was primarily due to development incompetence. A security researcher identified a serious security flaw in the company's encryption protocols, which could allow unauthorized access to computers running the software, run spyware, or access files and records stored on them [37774]. The company's response to the security flaw was criticized for being vague and slow, with poor communication to affected schools and delays in delivering promised software patches [37774].
(b) The incident also involved accidental factors, as the security researcher publicly disclosed the vulnerability in the software instead of privately disclosing it to the company. This decision was influenced by the researcher's stance against the 'anti-extremism' features of the software and the lack of knowledge on where to report the flaw as a non-customer [37774]. Additionally, Impero mentioned that the hack exposing the vulnerability was done maliciously and illegally, rather than being brought to their attention privately and confidentially [37774]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was initially temporary as it was caused by a serious security flaw in Impero Education Pro's encryption protocols, which allowed almost anyone to gain full access to computers running the software, run spyware, or access files and records stored on them. Impero released a temporary security patch and was working on a permanent upgrade to address the vulnerability [37774].
(b) The temporary nature of the failure is evident from the fact that Impero immediately released a hot fix as a short-term measure to address the issue. They were also working closely with customers and penetration testers to develop a solid long-term solution. Impero assured that all schools would have the new version, including the long-term fix, installed in time for the new school term [37774]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in this case does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The incident is related to a serious security flaw in the software that could potentially expose children's personal information to hackers [37774].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the incident is centered around a flaw in the encryption protocols of the software that could allow unauthorized access to computers running the Impero software [37774].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The main issue here is the security vulnerability in the software that could compromise the security of the networks running the Impero software [37774].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The primary concern is the security flaw in the software that could potentially allow unauthorized access and compromise the security of the systems running the Impero software [37774].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit behavior characteristic of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The main issue is the security vulnerability in the software that could lead to unauthorized access and potential compromise of information [37774].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is primarily related to a serious security flaw in the Impero Education Pro software, which could allow almost anyone to gain full access to computers running the software, run spyware, or access files and records stored on them. The incident involves a breach in the encryption protocols of the software, leading to potential security risks for the networks using the software [37774]. |