| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Snapchat hack indicates that Snapchat has had issues with third-party services before. The article mentions that SnapSave, an Android app, and SnapSaved, a website, were at the center of the hack, allowing users to read messages outside of Snapchat's app and creating backups of messages [30975]. This incident highlights a vulnerability in Snapchat's security measures and raises concerns about the company's ability to prevent unauthorized access to user data.
(b) The article also mentions that Snapchat has been slow to adopt encryption and has a history of not taking security seriously, according to Chris Eng, the vice president of research at computer-security research firm Veracode [30975]. This suggests that similar incidents or security vulnerabilities may have occurred at other organizations as well, where encryption and security measures were not given enough priority. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be attributed to the use of third-party services like SnapSave and SnapSaved that allowed Snapchat users to read messages outside of Snapchat's app and create backups of messages [30975]. These third-party services were not affiliated with Snapchat and were not officially endorsed by the company. The incident highlights a failure in the design aspect of Snapchat's security measures, as these unauthorized services were able to access and store user data without the knowledge or permission of Snapchat users.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be linked to the misuse of the system by Snapchat users who utilized third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, despite this practice being expressly prohibited in Snapchat's Terms of Use [30975]. Snapchat put the blame on its users for being victimized by their use of these unauthorized third-party apps, emphasizing that such actions compromised user security. This indicates a failure in the operation aspect of ensuring user compliance with security protocols and guidelines. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Snapchat hack was primarily due to factors originating from within the system. Snapchat put the blame on its users for using third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, which compromised user security. The company expressly prohibits such practices in its Terms of Use. Additionally, the incident involved third-party services like SnapSave and SnapSaved, which allowed users to read messages outside of Snapchat's app and create backups of messages, potentially without the knowledge or permission of Snapchat users [30975].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident related to the Snapchat hack also had contributing factors originating from outside the system. Third-party services like SnapSave and SnapSaved were at the center of the hack, indicating that external entities played a role in the breach. These services were not affiliated with Snapchat and were used by users to back up their photos and videos, leading to the exposure of a significant amount of data from Snapchat accounts [30975]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions:
The Snapchat hack incident was primarily caused by third-party services, namely SnapSave and SnapSaved, which allowed users to back up their Snapchat photos and videos outside of Snapchat's app. These services created backups of messages without the knowledge or permission of Snapchat users, leading to a massive breach of data [30975].
(b) The software failure incident related to human actions:
In the case of the Snapchat hack, human actions played a significant role in the failure. Snapchat put the blame on its users for using third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, which compromised user security. The company expressly prohibits such practices in its Terms of Use, yet users engaged in these actions, ultimately leading to the breach [30975]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The Snapchat hack incident was not directly attributed to hardware failure but rather to third-party services that allowed users to back up their photos and videos [30975].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The Snapchat hack incident was primarily caused by the unauthorized third-party services, SnapSave and SnapSaved, which allowed users to save and access Snapchat messages outside of the official app, leading to a breach of user data [30975]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Snapchat hack can be categorized as malicious. The incident involved a third-party hack where an enormous library of photos and videos from 200,000 accounts was saved through unauthorized apps and websites not affiliated with Snapchat [30975]. The hack was not a result of an unintentional error or fault but rather a deliberate act by individuals seeking to access and store Snapchat messages without the users' knowledge or permission. Snapchat explicitly blamed its users for being victimized by their use of third-party apps, which compromised the security of the system [30975]. Additionally, the incident highlighted the risks associated with using unauthorized third-party services that can lead to breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive data. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Snapchat hack can be attributed to poor decisions made by Snapchat in allowing third-party services like SnapSave and SnapSaved to exist and operate alongside their platform. These services were not affiliated with Snapchat and allowed users to save messages and videos, contrary to Snapchat's intended ephemeral messaging feature. Snapchat admitted that they were not aggressive in policing third-party apps, indicating a lack of proactive measures to protect user data [30975].
(b) Additionally, the incident can also be linked to accidental decisions or unintended consequences as Snapchat users unknowingly used these third-party services to save messages, compromising their security. The backups created by these services may not have been intentional, raising questions about the users' awareness and consent regarding the storage of their Snapchat data [30975]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The article mentions concerns about Snapchat's security practices, with Chris Eng, vice president of research at computer-security research firm Veracode, stating that Snapchat has "a history of not taking security seriously" and suggesting that they may not be aggressive in policing third-party apps [30975].
(b) The incident involving the Snapchat hack where a 13-gigabyte library of photos and videos from 200,000 accounts was compromised through third-party services like SnapSave and SnapSaved indicates a failure that occurred accidentally due to users utilizing these unauthorized third-party apps to store and access Snapchat messages without the knowledge or permission of Snapchat [30975]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Snapchat hack can be considered as a permanent failure. The incident involved third-party services that allowed users to back up their Snapchat photos and videos, leading to a massive hack of a 13-gigabyte library of content from around 200,000 accounts [30975]. This breach exposed a significant number of users to potential privacy violations and security risks due to the unauthorized storage of their messages outside of Snapchat's intended system. Additionally, the incident highlighted concerns about Snapchat's security practices, including its slow adoption of encryption and potential lack of independent security reviews [30975].
(b) On the other hand, the software failure incident can also be viewed as a temporary failure in the sense that it was caused by specific circumstances related to the unauthorized third-party services used by some Snapchat users. Snapchat explicitly prohibits the use of such third-party apps in its Terms of Use, emphasizing the compromise to user security that can result from using these services [30975]. The incident underscores the risks associated with users deviating from the intended platform and engaging with external services that may not adhere to the same security standards or privacy protections as the official Snapchat application. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The Snapchat hack incident did not involve a system crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The hack involved unauthorized access to a large library of photos and videos from user accounts, indicating a breach rather than a crash [30975].
(b) omission: The incident did not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the failure was related to unauthorized access and storage of user data by third-party services [30975].
(c) timing: The failure was not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The incident was more about unauthorized access and storage of user data by third-party services, leading to a breach [30975].
(d) value: The software failure incident was not due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The issue was related to unauthorized access and storage of user data by third-party services, compromising user security [30975].
(e) byzantine: The incident did not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions, which would align with a byzantine failure. The primary issue was the unauthorized access and storage of user data by third-party services [30975].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case could be categorized as a security breach or data leak. The incident involved the unauthorized access and storage of a significant amount of user data by third-party services, leading to a compromise of user privacy and security [30975]. |