Published Date: 2011-04-27
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident related to the PlayStation Network being brought down by a hacking group called Lizard Squad happened on Christmas Eve [Article 56497]. 2. The incident of the PlayStation Network being attacked by Lizard Squad occurred on Christmas Eve, which is December 24th [Article 56497]. |
| System | 1. PlayStation Network (PSN) [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497] 2. Xbox Live [32705, 56469, 56497] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Lizard Squad - The Lizard Squad hacking group was responsible for causing the software failure incidents reported in the articles [32705, 56469, 56497]. 2. Anonymous - The loosely organized hacker group Anonymous was also involved in security problems faced by Sony Music Greece [5688]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. PlayStation Network (PSN) [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497] 2. Sony Music Greece [5688] 3. Sony Music Indonesia [5688] 4. Xbox Live [32705, 56469] |
| Software Causes | 1. The software cause of the failure incident was a cyberattack by the Lizard Squad hacking group that targeted the PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live, leading to disruption of online gaming services [32705, 56469, 56497]. 2. The cyberattack involved a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, where the hackers flooded the PlayStation servers with traffic, causing the network to go offline [56497]. 3. The hackers gained unauthorized access to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live infrastructure, exploiting security weaknesses in the systems [56497]. 4. The breach resulted in the theft of data from 77 million PlayStation Network users, including usernames, passwords, credit card details, security answers, purchase history, and addresses [5054]. 5. The attack on Sony Music Greece involved a SQL injection method, leading to the exposure of user data such as customer names, user names, and email addresses [5688]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. The failure incident was caused by a cyberattack carried out by the Lizard Squad hacking group, which targeted the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, leading to disruptions in online gaming services [32705, 56469, 56497]. 2. The cyberattack involved a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, where the hackers flooded the PlayStation servers with traffic to disrupt connectivity and online gameplay [56497]. 3. The Lizard Squad hacking group claimed responsibility for the attacks on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, highlighting security weaknesses in the systems and aiming to cause disruption for amusement [56469, 56497]. 4. The attacks were not solely limited to software vulnerabilities but also involved social engineering tactics, such as making false bomb threats to divert flights carrying Sony executives [56469]. |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident involving the Lizard Squad hacking group caused disruption to the PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live online gaming services, preventing users from connecting and accessing online games and on-demand video streaming services [32705, 56469]. 2. The incident led to the theft of data from 77 million PlayStation Network users, including usernames, passwords, credit card details, security answers, purchase history, and addresses [5054]. 3. Sony Music Greece was hacked with user data published online, potentially affecting over 8,300 users with leaked information [5688]. 4. The disruption caused by the cyberattack resulted in service outages for several days, impacting millions of gamers and leading to frustration and negative sentiments among users [56469]. 5. The incident highlighted security weaknesses in Sony's networks, indicating a fundamental flaw that would require significant time and resources to fix [5054]. 6. The attacks by the Lizard Squad group not only affected the gaming services but also targeted other Sony entities like Sony Music Greece and Sony Pictures, showcasing a broader impact on the company's operations [5688, 56469]. 7. The incident raised concerns about the security of user data, potential phishing attacks, and the risk of identity theft due to the compromised information [5054]. 8. The disruption caused financial implications for Sony, as they hinted at possible refunds for lost services and games, indicating a need for compensatory measures [5054]. 9. The incident led to arrests of individuals linked with the Lizard Squad, highlighting the legal consequences of engaging in cyber-fraud offenses [32705]. |
| Preventions | 1. Improved security measures such as stronger encryption and network monitoring could have prevented the software failure incident [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497]. 2. Regular security audits and updates to identify and fix vulnerabilities could have helped prevent the incidents [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497]. 3. Implementing stricter access controls and authentication methods could have enhanced the security of the systems [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497]. 4. Proactive measures to address known security threats and potential attack vectors could have mitigated the risk of software failures [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497]. 5. Collaborating with cybersecurity experts and organizations to stay ahead of emerging threats and trends in cyber attacks could have been beneficial in preventing the incidents [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497]. |
| Fixes | 1. Enhancing network security measures to prevent future DDoS attacks and unauthorized access [32705, 5688, 56469, 56497]. 2. Implementing encryption protocols to protect sensitive user data such as passwords, credit card details, and personal information [5054]. 3. Conducting regular security audits and forensic testing to identify vulnerabilities and address them promptly [5054]. 4. Providing prompt and transparent communication with users regarding the incident, its causes, and the steps being taken to mitigate future risks [56469, 56497]. 5. Offering compensation or refunds to affected users as a gesture of goodwill and acknowledgment of the inconvenience caused [32705, 56469, 56497]. | References | 1. Sony Network Entertainment's blog post [32705] 2. The Hacker News [5688] 3. Sony spokeswoman via email [5688] 4. Chester Wisniewski at Sophos [5688] 5. The Wall Street Journal [5688] 6. Alan Paller, research director of the SANS Institute [5054] 7. VG247 [5054] 8. Nick Caplin, head of communications at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe [5054] 9. Lizard Squad's tweets [56469] 10. Sony executive [56469] 11. Sony's PlayStation blog [56497] 12. Tech news site Daily Dot [56497] 13. Sky News [56497] 14. Security journalist Brian Krebs [56497] 15. YouTube news channel Drama Alert [56497] 16. Hackforums [56497] 17. Finest Squad [56497] 18. Hacktivist collective Anonymous [56497] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - Sony experienced a cyberattack causing network woes for PlayStation and Xbox since Christmas Day [Article 56469]. - Lizard Squad, a hacking group, was responsible for the disruption through a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack [Article 56497]. - Lizard Squad had previously targeted the PlayStation Network in August with a DDoS attack [Article 56497]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - Sony Music Greece was hacked with user data published online, and Sony Music Indonesia's website was defaced [Article 5688]. - Sony's Japanese ISP subsidiary, So-net Entertainment, was hacked, compromising email accounts and customer rewards points [Article 5688]. - Sony Thailand's website was hacked and used for phishing [Article 5688]. - Sony experienced a significant breach in April when the PlayStation Network was hacked, exposing personal information from millions of customer accounts [Article 5054]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase: - The PlayStation Network (PSN) outage on Christmas Eve was caused by a hacking group known as Lizard Squad, who conducted distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, preventing users from accessing online gaming services [32705, 56497]. - Sony Music Greece was hacked with user data published online, and Sony Music Indonesia's website was defaced due to a distributed denial-of-service attack by the hacker group Anonymous [5688]. - Sony admitted that the PlayStation Network shutdown was due to a "non-gaming" intrusion into the system, leading to the theft of data from 77 million users, indicating a fundamental flaw in Sony's networks [5054]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase: - The PlayStation Network and Xbox Live experienced network issues and outages, affecting millions of gamers from playing online, possibly due to cyberattacks by Lizard Squad [56469]. - Lizard Squad conducted distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on the PlayStation servers, causing disruptions in connectivity and online gameplay for users [56497]. - The attacks on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live were attributed to Lizard Squad, a group of hackers aiming to highlight security weaknesses in the systems [56497]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system, outside_system | (a) The software failure incident related to the PlayStation Network (PSN) being disrupted by the Lizard Squad hacking group was primarily within the system. The Lizard Squad conducted distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on the PSN servers, flooding them with traffic to disrupt connectivity and online gameplay [32705, 56497]. Sony acknowledged that the disruption was caused by hackers using a DDoS attack to bring access to a halt [56497]. Additionally, the Lizard Squad claimed responsibility for the attacks on the PSN and Xbox Live infrastructure, indicating that the failure originated from within the systems being targeted [56497]. (b) The software failure incident was also influenced by factors outside the system. The Lizard Squad, an external hacking group, targeted the PSN and Xbox Live services, indicating that the failure was caused by external factors [32705, 56497]. The attacks were conducted by hackers external to Sony and Microsoft, demonstrating that the contributing factors originated from outside the systems being attacked. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The PlayStation Network (PSN) was brought down on Christmas Eve by a hacking group called Lizard Squad using a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack to flood the PlayStation servers with traffic, disrupting connectivity and online gameplay [Article 56497]. - Sony Music Greece was hacked with user data published online, and Sony Music Indonesia's website was defaced, with a SQL injection method used to attack SonyMusic.gr [Article 5688]. - Sony admitted that the PlayStation Network was shut down due to a "non-gaming" intrusion into the system, leading to the theft of data of 77 million users [Article 5054]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - Lizard Squad, a group of black-hat hackers, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on PlayStation and Xbox, resulting in network woes since Christmas Day [Article 56469]. - Lizard Squad targeted the PlayStation Network in August with a DDoS attack, and the group has been stepping up its media profile in the wake of the Christmas attacks, claiming their motivations are amusement and to highlight security weaknesses [Article 56497]. - The Lizard Squad has been linked with a series of high-profile DDoS attacks, including the attack on the PSN and Xbox Live, preventing legitimate users from connecting to the services [Article 32705]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - There is no specific mention of the software failure incidents being caused by hardware issues in the provided articles. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incidents reported in the articles were primarily caused by software-related issues such as cyberattacks, hacking, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These incidents led to disruptions in services like the PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live, affecting millions of users [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | malicious, non-malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the PlayStation Network being disrupted by the Lizard Squad hacking group on Christmas Eve [32705] is categorized as a malicious failure. The Lizard Squad conducted a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the PSN, preventing users from connecting and accessing online services intentionally to disrupt the system. The attack was aimed at causing harm and inconvenience to the users and the company. (b) The software failure incident related to the Sony Music Greece and Sony Music Indonesia websites being hacked and defaced [5688] is categorized as a non-malicious failure. The attacks involved a distributed denial-of-service attack by the hacker group Anonymous and a SQL injection method on the Sony Music Greece website. These incidents were not aimed at causing harm directly to the users but rather exploiting vulnerabilities in the system for various reasons, such as protesting legal actions taken by Sony. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | unknown | (a) The intent of the software failure incident: - The software failure incidents reported in the articles were primarily due to intentional actions by hacking groups like Lizard Squad. These groups carried out distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on Sony's PlayStation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live, causing disruptions to the online gaming services [32705, 5688, 56469, 56497]. - Lizard Squad, the hacking group responsible for the attacks, claimed that their motivations were for amusement and to highlight security weaknesses in the systems of Sony and Microsoft [56497]. - The attacks were not accidental but deliberate actions aimed at disrupting the services and causing inconvenience to users [32705, 5688, 56469, 56497]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence: - The incident where Sony Music Greece was hacked with user data published to the Web was due to a distributed denial-of-service attack by the loosely organized hacker group Anonymous in early April to protest Sony's legal actions against PS3 hackers [Article 5688]. - Sony admitted that the shutdown of its PlayStation Network was due to a "non-gaming" intrusion into the system, leading to the theft of data of 77 million users. Security analysts mentioned that hackers may have uncovered a fundamental flaw in Sony's networks, which would be expensive and time-consuming to fix [Article 5054]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - The PlayStation Network outage on Christmas Eve was caused by hackers using a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack to flood the PlayStation servers with traffic, disrupting connectivity and online gameplay. Sony confirmed that the disruption was caused by hackers and mentioned that the attack was done by the Lizard Squad, a group of black-hat hackers [Article 56497]. |
| Duration | temporary | (a) The software failure incident was temporary: - The PlayStation Network (PSN) was brought down on Christmas Eve by a hacking group called Lizard Squad, using a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack [Article 56497]. - The disruption caused by hackers using a DDoS attack prevented access to the network and its services for a few days [Article 56497]. - Microsoft’s Xbox Live infrastructure was also attacked by the same group, but service was restored by Boxing Day [Article 56497]. - The Lizard Squad claimed that their motivations were for amusement and to highlight security weaknesses of the systems [Article 56497]. (b) The software failure incident was permanent: - There is no evidence in the articles to suggest that the software failure incident was permanent. |
| Behaviour | crash, omission, value | (a) crash: - Article 32705 reports a crash incident where the PlayStation Network (PSN) was taken offline by the Lizard Squad hacking group, preventing users from connecting and accessing online services for four days over Christmas. - Article 56469 mentions a cyberattack causing network woes for PlayStation and Xbox since Christmas Day, leading to outages that kept millions of gamers from playing online. (b) omission: - Article 56497 describes a failure where the PlayStation Network was brought down on Christmas Eve by a hacking group, causing disruption and preventing access to the network and its services for several days. (c) timing: - Article 5054 discusses a timing issue where Sony admitted to shutting down the PlayStation Network due to a non-gaming intrusion but realizing late that the breach led to the theft of data of 77 million users after forensic security testing. (d) value: - Article 5054 highlights a value-related failure where hackers stole usernames, passwords, credit card details, security answers, purchase history, and addresses of potentially more than 8,300 users from Sony Music Greece through a SQL injection method. (e) byzantine: - There is no specific mention of a byzantine behavior in the provided articles. (f) other: - The articles do not provide information on any other specific behavior of the software failure incident. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, delay, non-human, theoretical_consequence | (a) death: There were no reports of people losing their lives due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (b) harm: There were no reports of people being physically harmed due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (c) basic: There were no reports of people's access to food or shelter being impacted because of the software failure incident in the provided articles. (d) property: The software failure incidents led to property damage in the form of data theft. For example, in Article 5054, it was mentioned that the breach led to the theft of data of 77 million users, including usernames, passwords, credit card details, security answers, purchase history, and addresses. (e) delay: The software failure incidents caused delays in accessing online services. For instance, in Article 32705, it was mentioned that the PlayStation Network (PSN) was disrupted for four days over Christmas due to a hacking incident by the Lizard Squad, preventing users from connecting and accessing online games and services. (f) non-human: Non-human entities, such as the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live online gaming services, were impacted by the software failure incidents. The disruptions affected the functionality of these online platforms, as mentioned in various articles. (g) no_consequence: The software failure incidents had observable consequences, such as service disruptions, data theft, and inconvenience to users. (h) theoretical_consequence: The articles discussed potential consequences of the software failure incidents, such as the risk of personal information being exposed, the impact on customer accounts, and the need for enhanced security measures to prevent future incidents. (i) other: There were no other specific consequences of the software failure incidents mentioned in the provided articles. |
| Domain | entertainment | (a) The failed system was related to the entertainment industry, specifically online gaming services like PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live [32705, 5688, 5054, 56469, 56497]. |
Article ID: 32705
Article ID: 5688
Article ID: 5054
Article ID: 56469
Article ID: 56497