| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- Sony has experienced similar incidents in the past. The PlayStation Network (PSN) suffered downtime during Christmas 2013 when the PlayStation 4 had its first holiday season [56285].
- Sony Online Entertainment, a different division from the hacked Sony Pictures, has been plagued with outage problems previously [56285].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- Lizard Squad, the group responsible for the attack on Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks, had previously claimed responsibility for hacking the PlayStation Network, the servers of games company Blizzard Entertainment, and targeting other high-profile games like Destiny, Grand Theft Auto Online, and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare [56285]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
operation |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily related to the operation phase. The failure was caused by a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack orchestrated by a group called Lizard Squad, which overloaded the systems of both Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks by generating fake access requests [56285].
The attack disrupted the services provided by both networks, preventing users from accessing online features and playing games. This incident highlights the vulnerability of online gaming networks to cyber-attacks during peak usage times, such as Christmas, when there is increased demand on the systems.
While the articles do not specifically mention any design-related failures contributing to this incident, the focus is on the operational impact of the attack and the challenges faced by the companies in maintaining service availability and resilience in the face of such malicious activities. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily within_system. The failure was caused by a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack orchestrated by a group called Lizard Squad, which overloaded the systems of both Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks by generating fake access requests [56285]. The attack originated from within the system and was not due to external factors beyond the control of the networks. |
| 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 due to a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack orchestrated by a group called Lizard Squad. This attack overloaded the systems of both Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks by generating fake access requests, thereby disrupting the services for millions of users [56285].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
Human actions also played a significant role in this software failure incident. The group Lizard Squad claimed responsibility for the cyber-attack on Christmas Eve, which led to the disruption of the Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks. Additionally, the rival hacking group, Finest Squad, claimed to be attempting to stop Lizard Squad and even mentioned handing their details to the police, indicating human intervention in response to the attack [56285]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was not due to hardware issues but rather due to a cyber-attack orchestrated by a group called Lizard Squad. The attack was a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack, which overloaded the systems of both Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks by generating fake access requests [56285]. This incident was a result of external malicious activity targeting the software systems rather than any hardware-related failures. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. The failure was due to a cyber-attack orchestrated by a group called Lizard Squad, who claimed responsibility for bringing down the Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks through a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack [56285]. The attack was intentional and aimed at disrupting the services, affecting millions of gamers during the Christmas holiday period. The group had threatened to target both networks at Christmas and had a history of similar attacks on other gaming networks and services. Their actions were described as malicious and harmful to the systems and users involved. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions can be seen in the actions of the hacking group Lizard Squad. They deliberately targeted the Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks with a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack on Christmas Eve, affecting millions of gamers [56285]. This intentional act of disrupting the networks and causing inconvenience to users was a result of poor decisions made by the hackers.
(b) The software failure incident was not accidental but rather a deliberate attack orchestrated by Lizard Squad. Their actions were premeditated, as they had threatened to target both networks at Christmas and had a history of similar attacks on other platforms [56285]. This indicates that the failure was not due to accidental decisions but rather a planned and intentional act of disruption. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as the group Lizard Squad claimed responsibility for bringing down the Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks through a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack. This attack overloaded the systems of both services by generating fake access requests, preventing millions of gamers from accessing their consoles and online services [56285].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was temporary. The disruption on the Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks continued for a second day after an apparent cyber-attack by Lizard Squad on Christmas Eve [56285]. The attack was described as a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack, overloading the systems of both services by generating fake access requests. Both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network were affected, with users unable to access the services, leading to frustration and complaints on social media platforms like Twitter. The incident was not a permanent failure but rather a temporary disruption caused by the cyber-attack. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash. The disruption on the Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks continued for a second day after an apparent cyber-attack by Lizard Squad, causing the systems to be overloaded and preventing users from accessing the services [56285].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be related to omission as users reported issues with accessing the services, downloading games, and logging into the networks, indicating that the systems were omitting to perform their intended functions at that instance [56285].
(c) timing: While the incident primarily falls under the crash and omission categories, there is no specific mention of the system performing its intended functions too late or too early in the articles [56285].
(d) value: The failure does not seem to be related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly (value) but rather failing to perform them at all due to the cyber-attack and system overload [56285].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [56285].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be described as a denial of service attack (DDOS) orchestrated by Lizard Squad, which overloaded the systems of Xbox Live and Sony Playstation networks, causing a disruption in service and preventing users from accessing the platforms [56285]. |