| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of a hack targeting specific card payment information at hotels happened again within the same industry, as just four days prior to the Hilton incident, Starwood Hotels reported a similar incident where hackers infected payment systems in some of its establishments, potentially leaking customer credit card data [53523].
(b) The software failure incident of a hack targeting specific card payment information at hotels has also occurred at multiple organizations within the hospitality industry, as both Hilton and Starwood Hotels, which operate different hotel chains, experienced similar incidents of malware infecting their payment systems and potentially compromising customer credit card data [53523]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article as it mentions that the malware targeted specific card payment information at Hilton hotels. This indicates a vulnerability in the system design that allowed the malicious software to access cardholders' names, card numbers, codes, and expiration dates [53523].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted in the article when it mentions that the malware infected registers at hotels, potentially compromising cardholders' information. This indicates a failure in the operation or misuse of the system, allowing the malware to infiltrate the point-of-sale systems at Hilton hotels [53523]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident at Hilton Worldwide was due to the presence of unauthorized malware that targeted payment card information within the hotel chain's point-of-sale systems [53523]. The malicious software infected registers at various hotels, allowing it to access cardholders' names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates. Hilton immediately launched an investigation and took action to eradicate the malware, indicating that the failure originated from within the system itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a hack targeting specific card payment information at Hilton hotels. Malicious software infected registers at hotels, allowing access to cardholders' names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates [53523]. The incident involved unauthorized malware that targeted payment card information in some point-of-sale systems, indicating a non-human action leading to the breach. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily related to a hack targeting specific card payment information at Hilton hotels. The incident involved malicious software infecting registers at hotels, leading to unauthorized access to cardholders' names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates [53523].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to a software vulnerability that allowed the malware to target and compromise the payment systems at Hilton hotels. The malware exploited weaknesses in the software systems, enabling it to access and extract sensitive card payment information from customers [53523]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is malicious in nature. The incident involved hackers targeting specific card payment information at Hilton hotels by infecting registers with malicious software, potentially compromising cardholders' names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates [53523]. The breach was described as unauthorized malware that targeted payment card information in some point-of-sale systems, indicating a deliberate attempt to access sensitive data for fraudulent purposes. Additionally, the incident at Hilton occurred shortly after a similar hack at Starwood Hotels, suggesting a coordinated effort by malicious actors to exploit vulnerabilities in hotel payment systems. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident at Hilton Worldwide was a result of poor decisions made by hackers who targeted specific card payment information through malicious software. The malware was designed to access cardholders' names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates, indicating a deliberate and malicious intent behind the hack [53523].
(b) Additionally, the incident could also be attributed to accidental decisions or mistakes on the part of Hilton Worldwide in terms of their cybersecurity measures. The breach led to unauthorized access to payment card information in some point-of-sale systems, highlighting potential gaps in the company's security protocols and defenses [53523]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the Hilton data breach incident. The breach occurred due to hackers targeting specific card payment information by infecting registers at various hotels with malicious software [53523]. This indicates a lack of professional competence in ensuring robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive customer data.
(b) The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is highlighted by the unintentional exposure of customer credit card data due to the malware infection in the payment systems at Starwood Hotels. The malware was detected in some restaurants, gift shops, and other points of sale systems at the hotels, indicating an accidental introduction of the contributing factors leading to the data breach [53523]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in the articles is temporary. The incident involved a hack targeting specific card payment information at Hilton Worldwide hotels, leading to potential exposure of cardholders' names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates. The breach occurred between specific time frames, such as between November 18 and December 5 of a certain year and April 21 and July 27 of another year. Hilton immediately launched an investigation, took action to eradicate the unauthorized malware, and advised customers to monitor their payment card statements for irregular activity during the affected periods [53523]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash as it involved the system losing state and not performing its intended functions. The malware targeted specific card payment information at Hilton hotels, leading to a security breach where the system was compromised by malicious software, potentially affecting cardholders' data [53523].
(b) omission: The incident can also be categorized as an omission failure as the system omitted to perform its intended functions at instances. The malware infected registers at hotels, leading to the omission of secure handling of cardholders' names, card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates, which should have been protected [53523].
(c) timing: There is no specific indication in the articles that the software failure incident was related to timing issues where the system performed its intended functions but too late or too early.
(d) value: The incident can be categorized as a value failure as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly. The malware allowed unauthorized access to cardholders' sensitive information, such as card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates, which should have been securely stored and protected [53523].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not align with a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is a security breach due to a hack. The system was compromised by hackers who targeted specific card payment information, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data of cardholders at Hilton hotels [53523]. |