| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to TalkTalk hacking has happened again within the same organization. Another teenager, Daniel Kelley, has been charged in a separate case over the alleged hack and data theft involving TalkTalk. Kelley faces charges of blackmail, computer hacking, and fraud related to hacking TalkTalk to obtain customer data and demanding payment in bitcoins. This indicates a recurrence of a software failure incident within TalkTalk [49530].
(b) The software failure incident related to TalkTalk hacking has also happened at other organizations. The first teenager involved in the TalkTalk breach, who hacked into TalkTalk's broadband service, also targeted other websites including those of Manchester University, Cambridge University, and Merit Badges. This shows that the individual's actions were not limited to just one organization but extended to multiple organizations [49530]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the case of the TalkTalk hack where a 17-year-old boy breached the TalkTalk website's security using a "hacking tool" and exposed its vulnerabilities. The boy used software called SQLmap to identify vulnerabilities on websites, and although it was described as "legitimate software" with a legal disclaimer, he used it to breach websites without mutual consent [49530].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be observed in the TalkTalk hack where the teenager admitted he was "showing off to his mates" when he posted details of his success online. He mentioned that he didn't really think of the consequences at the time and was just showing off, indicating a misuse of his skills and actions [49530]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to contributing factors that originated from within the system. The 17-year-old boy hacked into TalkTalk's system using a "hacking tool" and exploited vulnerabilities within the system to gain unauthorized access to customer data [49530]. Additionally, the boy used software called SQLmap to identify vulnerabilities on websites, indicating that the failure was caused by weaknesses within the system's security measures [49530]. |
| 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 primarily due to vulnerabilities in the TalkTalk website that were exploited by the teenager using a "hacking tool" [49530].
- The breach involved the use of software called SQLmap to identify vulnerabilities on websites, indicating that the software itself was used to exploit weaknesses in the system [49530].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The teenager admitted to hacking into TalkTalk and other websites to show off to his friends, indicating that the breach was a result of deliberate human actions [49530].
- Another teenager, Daniel Kelley, was charged with blackmail, computer hacking, and fraud related to the TalkTalk hack, further highlighting the role of human actions in the software failure incident [49530]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The incident involved a 17-year-old boy hacking into the broadband service provider TalkTalk, which exposed vulnerabilities in TalkTalk's system [49530].
- The boy used an iPhone, USB stick, and Apple laptop in his hacking activities, which were seized and analyzed by the police [49530].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The boy used software called SQLmap to identify vulnerabilities on websites, including TalkTalk's website [49530].
- The software used by the boy had a legal disclaimer warning users that it must only be used to identify vulnerabilities on websites with mutual consent [49530].
- The incident involved the TalkTalk website being targeted more than 14,000 times after the boy initially broke through its security using a "hacking tool" [49530]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. The incident involved a 17-year-old boy who hacked into TalkTalk's system and exposed its vulnerabilities with the intent to show off to his friends. The boy used a hacking tool to breach TalkTalk's security, leading to the website being targeted over 14,000 times. Additionally, another teenager, Daniel Kelley, was charged with blackmail, computer hacking, and fraud related to the TalkTalk hack, further indicating malicious intent [49530]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
- The incident involving the 17-year-old boy who hacked into TalkTalk and other websites was driven by poor decisions. The teenager admitted he was "showing off to his mates" and did not consider the consequences of his actions [49530].
- The prosecutor mentioned that the teenager's actions were driven by bravado, to prove his skills, and to show that he could breach the security of websites. The teenager himself admitted that he didn't think of the consequences at the time and was just showing off [49530]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not due to development incompetence. The incident involved a 17-year-old boy who hacked into TalkTalk and other websites using software like SQLmap to identify vulnerabilities. The boy's actions were described as bravado and showing off to his friends, rather than a result of development incompetence [49530].
(b) The software failure incident in the article was accidental in nature. The 17-year-old boy admitted that he was "showing off to his mates" and did not exploit the information for gain. His actions were described as not well thought out, with the boy admitting he didn't really think of the consequences at the time. It was more of a reckless act rather than a deliberate plan to cause harm [49530]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in the articles can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident involved a hack into the broadband service provider TalkTalk by a 17-year-old boy who exposed vulnerabilities in the system [49530]. The breach occurred on 21 October 2015, resulting in the personal data of nearly 160,000 people being accessed. The breach was described as a "significant and sustained" attack on the TalkTalk website. Additionally, a second teenager was charged in a separate case over the alleged hack and data theft, indicating that the incident was not a permanent failure but rather a specific event caused by external factors [49530]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The incident involving the 17-year-old boy hacking into TalkTalk's system did not result in a crash where the system lost state and did not perform its intended functions. The boy was able to access and expose vulnerabilities in the system, leading to a breach of personal data [49530].
(b) omission: The software failure incident did not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the incident involved the exploitation of vulnerabilities in the system by the hacker [49530].
(c) timing: The incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. It was a case of unauthorized access and data breach due to security vulnerabilities in the system [49530].
(d) value: The software failure incident did involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly, as the hacker was able to breach the system's security and access personal data of nearly 160,000 people, including bank account details and sort codes [49530].
(e) byzantine: The incident did not exhibit the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. It was a case of a deliberate breach of security by the hacker, rather than erratic behavior of the system itself [49530].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a deliberate exploitation of vulnerabilities in the system by the hacker, leading to unauthorized access and data breach. The incident involved the use of hacking tools and software to identify and exploit weaknesses in the targeted websites, including TalkTalk, Manchester University, Cambridge University, and Merit Badges [49530]. |