| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
a) The software failure incident related to implanting spyware on hard drives has happened before or again within the same organization. Kaspersky revealed the existence of a group dubbed The Equation Group capable of directly accessing the firmware of hard drives from various manufacturers like Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, IBM, Micron, Samsung, and others [33740].
b) The software failure incident related to implanting spyware on hard drives has also affected multiple organizations and industries. Infected parties and industries include government and diplomatic institutions, telecommunications, aerospace, energy, nuclear research, oil and gas, military, nanotechnology, Islamic activists and scholars, mass media, transportation sector, financial institutions, and companies developing encryption technologies [33740]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
operation |
(a) The article does not provide information about a software failure incident related to the design phase.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is the implanting of spyware on hard drives by The Equation Group, as reported by Kaspersky. This spyware was capable of directly accessing the firmware of hard drives from various manufacturers and infecting computers around the world, especially targeting government institutions, industries, activists, scholars, media, financial institutions, and more [33740]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the implanting of spyware on hard drives by the NSA can be categorized as within_system. This is because the spyware was directly implanted into the firmware of hard drives from various manufacturers like Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, IBM, Micron, and Samsung by a group known as The Equation Group [33740]. The spyware was designed to be activated each time the computer boots up, allowing it to infect the computer repeatedly without the user's knowledge. The sophisticated techniques used to implant the spyware and the access to the source code of the infected hard drives point to the complexity and professional nature of the attack originating from within the system itself.
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident related to the implanting of spyware on hard drives by the NSA can also be categorized as outside_system. This is because the NSA, an external entity, was responsible for developing and deploying the spyware on the hard drives of various manufacturers. The NSA's involvement in accessing source code from technology firms, including through methods like posing as a software developer, indicates that the root cause of the software failure incident lies outside the affected systems [33740]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in this case is not directly attributed to non-human actions. The incident involves the NSA implanting spyware on hard drives through sophisticated techniques and accessing firmware to conduct surveillance on computers worldwide. This type of spyware is highly complex and professional, surpassing anything known in terms of complexity and sophistication [33740].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The software failure incident in this case is attributed to human actions, specifically the actions of the NSA. The NSA is accused of developing and using spyware to infect hard drives for surveillance purposes. Former NSA operatives and intelligence sources suggest that the agency is responsible for embedding spyware in hard drives, similar to the Stuxnet virus used in Iran's uranium enrichment facility [33740]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
The incident reported in the article is primarily related to a sophisticated way of implanting spyware on hard drives by directly accessing the firmware of hard drives from various manufacturers like Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, IBM, Micron, and Samsung [33740]. This implanting of spyware on hard drives is a hardware-related issue as it involves compromising the firmware of the hard drives to conduct surveillance on computers worldwide.
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
The software failure incident in this case is not directly related to software issues but rather to the implanting of spyware on hard drives through exploiting vulnerabilities in the firmware of the hard drives [33740]. The spyware itself is a software component, but the root cause of the incident lies in the compromise of the hardware (hard drives) to facilitate the surveillance activities. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. The incident involves the National Security Agency (NSA) implanting spyware on hard drives through sophisticated techniques to conduct surveillance on computers worldwide. The spyware is capable of infecting computers without the user's knowledge and has been active for almost 20 years, targeting various sectors including government institutions, telecommunications, energy, military, and more [33740]. The group responsible for this spyware, known as The Equation Group, has ties to Stuxnet, a virus used to infect Iran's uranium enrichment facility, further indicating the malicious intent behind the software failure incident [33740].
(b) There is no information in the articles to suggest that the software failure incident was non-malicious. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) poor_decisions: The software failure incident related to the implanting of spyware on hard drives by the NSA can be attributed to poor decisions made by the agency. The NSA was accused of developing and using sophisticated spyware to infect hard drives, allowing them to conduct surveillance on computers worldwide. This action was seen as a poor decision as it raised concerns about privacy violations and cybersecurity risks [33740].
(b) accidental_decisions: There is no information in the provided article to suggest that the software failure incident related to the implanting of spyware on hard drives by the NSA was due to accidental decisions. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
unknown |
(a) The articles do not provide information about the software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence.
(b) The software failure incident reported in the articles is not categorized as accidental. The incident involves the deliberate implanting of spyware on hard drives by a sophisticated group known as The Equation Group, which has ties to Stuxnet and is believed to be associated with the NSA [33740]. |
| Duration |
permanent |
The software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a permanent failure. The spyware implanted on hard drives by The Equation Group, as reported by Kaspersky, has been active for almost 20 years and has infected thousands or possibly tens of thousands of computers across 30 different countries [33740]. This indicates that the spyware has been persistently present and active over a long period of time, making it a permanent software failure incident. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The incident does not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The incident involves the implanting of spyware on hard drives by a group capable of directly accessing the firmware of various hard drive manufacturers, leading to surveillance activities on computers worldwide [33740].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not involve a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a deliberate and sophisticated act of espionage involving the implanting of spyware on hard drives to conduct surveillance activities. This behavior goes beyond typical software failures and falls into the realm of cyber espionage and security breaches [33740]. |