| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to a hack on Twitter's user data indicates that similar incidents have happened before or again within the same organization. Twitter mentioned in their blog post that they do not believe it was an isolated incident and that they believe other companies and organizations have also been similarly attacked recently. They are working with government and federal law enforcement to find and prosecute the attackers to enhance internet safety for all users [16441]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be attributed to the hackers' sophisticated attack on Twitter's system. The attackers successfully accessed limited user information, including usernames, email addresses, session tokens, and encrypted/salted versions of passwords for approximately 250,000 users. This breach was a result of unauthorized access attempts to Twitter user data, indicating a failure in the system's design to prevent such attacks [16441].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be seen in the unauthorized access and compromise of user accounts on Twitter. The attackers were able to abscond with some users' information, leading to Twitter resetting passwords and revoking session tokens for the affected accounts. This operational failure highlights the importance of user account security and the need for precautionary measures to protect against unauthorized access and misuse of the system [16441]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily due to unauthorized access attempts to Twitter user data, leading to the potential compromise of user information such as usernames, e-mail addresses, session tokens, and encrypted/salted versions of passwords. Twitter detected unusual access patterns and identified unauthorized access attempts, indicating a breach within the system's security measures. The company took steps to shut down the live attack and reset passwords for affected accounts as a precautionary security measure [16441]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurred due to non-human actions, specifically a series of attempts to hack into user data. Twitter detected unusual access patterns and unauthorized access attempts to user data, leading to the identification of a live attack that was shut down. The attackers may have successfully absconded with some users' information, including usernames, e-mail addresses, session tokens, and encrypted/salted versions of passwords for approximately 250,000 users [16441]. The attack was sophisticated, indicating that it was not the work of amateurs, and Twitter believed that other companies and organizations may have also been similarly attacked. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article does not indicate any contributing factors originating in hardware. It primarily focuses on the attempted hack into user data on Twitter's platform, which was detected and addressed by the company [16441].
(b) The software failure incident in the article is attributed to a sophisticated hacking attempt on Twitter's platform. The attackers targeted user data and were able to access limited user information such as usernames, email addresses, session tokens, and encrypted/salted versions of passwords for approximately 250,000 users. Twitter took steps to shut down the attack, reset passwords, and revoke session tokens for the affected accounts [16441]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is malicious in nature. Twitter detected attempts to hack into user data, and the attackers may have successfully absconded with some users' information. The attackers were described as extremely sophisticated, and Twitter believed that other companies and organizations may have also been similarly attacked. Twitter mentioned that they are helping government and federal law enforcement in their effort to find and prosecute these attackers to make the Internet safer for all users [16441]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was not due to poor decisions but rather a sophisticated hacking attack. The attackers behind the incident were described as extremely sophisticated, indicating a high level of skill and planning in executing the attack. Twitter mentioned that they do not believe it was an isolated incident and that other companies and organizations may have been similarly attacked, suggesting a coordinated effort by the attackers [16441]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not evident in the provided article.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is evident in the article. Twitter reported that they detected unauthorized access attempts to user data, indicating a breach that was not intentional on their part. The attackers were described as sophisticated, and Twitter believed that the attack was not an isolated incident, suggesting that it was accidental and not deliberately caused by Twitter [16441]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 16441 was temporary. Twitter detected unauthorized access attempts to user data, shut down one live attack in process, and took steps to mitigate the incident by resetting passwords and revoking session tokens for affected accounts. The incident was not permanent as Twitter actively responded to the breach and implemented security measures to address the issue [16441]. |
| Behaviour |
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 involved unauthorized access attempts to user data, leading to the compromise of limited user information for approximately 250,000 users. The system was able to detect the attack and shut it down in process, indicating that the system was still functioning to some extent [16441].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The incident primarily revolves around unauthorized access attempts and the compromise of user information, rather than the system failing to perform its functions [16441].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not involve timing issues where the system performs its intended functions too late or too early. The incident is more focused on the unauthorized access and compromise of user data, rather than issues related to the timing of system functions [16441].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The incident primarily revolves around unauthorized access attempts and the compromise of user information, rather than the system providing incorrect outputs or results [16441].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident mainly involves unauthorized access attempts and the compromise of user information, without mention of inconsistent or erratic system behavior [16441].
(f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as a security breach due to unauthorized access attempts leading to the compromise of user information. The attackers were sophisticated, and the incident prompted Twitter to take security measures such as resetting passwords and revoking session tokens for affected accounts. Additionally, the incident highlights the importance of good password hygiene and cybersecurity practices for users [16441]. |