Incident: Massive Data Breach Due to Keylogging Software on Personal Computers

Published Date: 2013-12-04

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident of hackers stealing usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others happened in November 2013 as per the article published on December 4, 2013 [Article 55772].
System 1. Keylogging software installed on personal computers around the world [55772]
Responsible Organization 1. Hackers [55772]
Impacted Organization 1. Facebook [55772] 2. Google (Gmail, Google+, YouTube) [55772] 3. Twitter [55772] 4. Yahoo [55772] 5. Odnoklassniki (Russian social network) [55772] 6. ADP [55772] 7. LinkedIn [55772]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was the malicious keylogging software that was installed on computers worldwide, capturing log-in credentials for key websites and sending them to a server controlled by hackers [55772].
Non-software Causes 1. The data breach was a result of keylogging software maliciously installed on computers around the world [Article 55772]. 2. The hackers set up the keylogging software to route information through a proxy server, making it impossible to track down which computers are infected [Article 55772].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident resulted in the theft of usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at major platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others [55772]. 2. Compromised credentials for over 93,000 websites were discovered, including accounts on Facebook, Gmail, Google+, YouTube, Yahoo, Twitter, Odnoklassniki, ADP, and LinkedIn [55772]. 3. The incident raised concerns about potential unauthorized access to sensitive information, particularly in the case of ADP log-ins used by payroll personnel, which could have allowed hackers to manipulate workers' payments [55772]. 4. The software failure incident highlighted the importance of updating antivirus software, downloading patches for Internet browsers, Adobe, and Java to protect against similar cyberattacks [55772].
Preventions 1. Implementing multi-factor authentication for user accounts could have prevented the software failure incident by adding an extra layer of security beyond just usernames and passwords [55772]. 2. Regularly updating antivirus software and downloading the latest patches for Internet browsers, Adobe, and Java could have helped in detecting and preventing the keylogging software from capturing log-in credentials [55772]. 3. Conducting regular security audits and monitoring for unusual activities on networks and systems could have potentially detected the presence of the keylogging software before it caused a massive data breach [55772].
Fixes 1. Updating antivirus software and downloading the latest patches for Internet browsers, Adobe, and Java could help fix the software failure incident caused by the keylogging virus [55772].
References 1. Trustwave researchers at cybersecurity firm Trustwave [55772]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the massive data breach caused by keylogging software affecting nearly two million accounts at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others is a significant incident that happened at multiple organizations simultaneously [55772]. This incident highlights the vulnerability of various platforms to such cyberattacks and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to prevent such breaches in the future.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The incident occurred due to keylogging software maliciously installed on computers around the world, capturing log-in credentials for key websites and sending them to a server controlled by hackers. This design flaw allowed the hackers to steal usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at major companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others [55772]. (b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The failure was exacerbated by the operation of the keylogging software, which was hidden in the background and difficult to detect through regular searches. Users were advised to update antivirus software and download the latest patches for Internet browsers, Adobe, and Java to mitigate the risk of infection. Additionally, compromised credentials for services like FTP and remote log-ins highlight the operational impact of the breach [55772].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system, outside_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article was primarily caused by keylogging software maliciously installed on computers around the world, capturing log-in credentials for key websites and sending them to a server controlled by hackers [55772]. This keylogging software was a part of the system that led to the data breach affecting accounts on various platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others. Additionally, the hackers set up the keylogging software to route information through a proxy server, making it difficult to track down infected computers, further emphasizing the internal nature of the failure incident.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions. Hackers installed keylogging software on computers worldwide, which maliciously captured log-in credentials for various websites and sent them to a server controlled by the hackers [55772]. (b) Human actions were also involved in this incident as the hackers intentionally installed the keylogging software on computers to capture sensitive information. Additionally, cybersecurity researchers at Trustwave notified the affected companies and publicly disclosed their findings about the breach [55772].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident reported in the article was not due to hardware issues but rather due to keylogging software maliciously installed on computers, capturing log-in credentials and sending them to a server controlled by hackers [55772]. (b) The software failure incident was primarily due to keylogging software, a type of malicious software, that was responsible for the data breach affecting accounts on various platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others. The hackers used this software to capture log-in credentials and compromise a significant number of accounts [55772].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in Article 55772 is malicious in nature. The incident involved hackers installing keylogging software on computers worldwide with the intent to steal usernames and passwords for various accounts on platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others. The keylogging software captured log-in credentials and sent them to a server controlled by the hackers. This act of unauthorized access and data theft clearly demonstrates malicious intent to harm the system and compromise user information [55772].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) accidental_decisions [a55772] The software failure incident of hackers stealing usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at various platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others was a result of keylogging software maliciously installed on computers worldwide. This incident can be categorized under "accidental_decisions" as it was a result of malicious actions by hackers rather than poor decisions made by the affected companies.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 55772 was not due to development incompetence but rather a sophisticated hack carried out by hackers who maliciously installed keylogging software on computers worldwide to steal usernames and passwords from popular websites like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others. The breach was a result of the hackers' malicious actions rather than incompetence in software development [55772]. (b) The software failure incident described in Article 55772 was accidental in the sense that users whose computers were infected with the keylogging software were unaware that their credentials were being captured and sent to the hackers' server. The users did not intentionally provide their login information; it was unknowingly captured by the malware installed on their systems, indicating an accidental exposure of sensitive data [55772].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident described in the article is more of a temporary nature. The incident involved hackers installing keylogging software on computers worldwide to capture log-in credentials for various websites. The breach was ongoing, with the hacking campaign starting on Oct. 21 and potentially still active as Trustwave had not tracked down all similar proxy servers used by the hackers [55772]. This indicates that the failure was temporary and ongoing rather than permanent.
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The incident is more focused on a data breach caused by keylogging software installed on computers [55772]. (b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the incident is related to the malicious capture of log-in credentials by the keylogging software [55772]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The focus is on the unauthorized capture and transmission of usernames and passwords by the keylogging software [55772]. (d) value: The software failure incident does involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The keylogging software captured log-in credentials and sent them to a server controlled by hackers, compromising the security of accounts on various platforms [55772]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident is more straightforward in terms of unauthorized data capture and transmission [55772]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security breach caused by the installation of keylogging software on computers, leading to the unauthorized capture and transmission of sensitive information. This behavior falls under the category of a cybersecurity attack rather than a traditional software failure like a crash or glitch [55772].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure The software failure incident described in Article 55772 involved a massive data breach where hackers stole usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at major companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others. The breach resulted in compromised credentials for over 93,000 websites, including popular platforms like Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The hackers captured log-in credentials using keylogging software installed on computers worldwide and sent the stolen information to a server controlled by the hackers. This incident led to potential risks for users, as the compromised data included credentials for various online services, FTP connections, and remote log-ins. Companies like ADP, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Yahoo took action by notifying and resetting passwords for compromised users to mitigate the impact on their property (data and accounts) [55772].
Domain information (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 55772 is related to the information industry. The incident involved a massive data breach where hackers stole usernames and passwords for accounts on major platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others [55772]. This breach compromised credentials for a significant number of websites and services, highlighting the vulnerability of information systems in the face of cyberattacks.

Sources

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