Incident: Google's Corporate Information Site Language Bug Incident

Published Date: 2010-03-24

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened on March 24, 2010. [1024]
System 1. Google's corporate information sites 2. Language display system 3. Redirection system
Responsible Organization 1. A bug within Google's system was responsible for causing the software failure incident as confirmed by a Google spokesperson [1024].
Impacted Organization 1. Google's corporate information sites 2. Users searching for "Google executives" 3. Google's US corporate site 4. CCTV (China's state television) 5. The overseas edition of the People's Daily
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was identified as a bug rather than a hack, affecting the language displayed to some users on Google's corporate information sites [1024].
Non-software Causes 1. The redirection of Google's corporate information sites to Chinese versions was due to a bug affecting the language displayed to some users, as confirmed by a Google spokesperson [1024].
Impacts 1. Users searching for "Google executives" were redirected to Chinese versions of Google's corporate information sites, causing confusion and potential language barriers [1024]. 2. The failure led to Google's US corporate site partially mirroring the Hong Kong version, which could have implications for users seeking specific information about Google's business operations [1024]. 3. The incident resulted in criticism from Chinese media outlets, including CCTV and the People's Daily, accusing Google of collaborating with US spy agencies and causing tensions between Google and the Chinese government [1024].
Preventions 1. Implementing robust security measures to prevent hacking attempts [1024]. 2. Conducting thorough testing to identify and fix bugs before deploying changes to production systems [1024]. 3. Implementing proper language settings validation to ensure the correct language is displayed to users [1024]. 4. Monitoring and promptly responding to any unusual activities or changes on the website to detect and address issues early [1024].
Fixes 1. Fixing the bug affecting the language displayed to some users [1024].
References 1. The articles gather information about the software failure incident from Google's corporate information sites. 2. The Guardian informed Google about the problem, and a spokesperson confirmed it [1024]. 3. A Google spokesperson provided updates and clarification on the incident [1024].

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident related to Google's corporate information sites being affected by a bug rather than a hack has happened again within the same organization. This incident was not a hack but a bug affecting the language displayed to some users, as confirmed by a Google spokesperson [1024]. (b) There is no information in the provided article about a similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in Article 1024 was attributed to a bug rather than a hack. Google's corporate information sites were displaying content in Chinese instead of English, redirecting users to the Chinese version of Google. This issue was identified as a bug affecting the language displayed to some users, indicating a failure related to the design or development phase of the system [1024]. (b) The operation phase could also be a contributing factor in this software failure incident. The redirection to the Chinese version of Google occurred only in some areas, and the failure could be reproduced after deleting cookies and enabling private browsing mode. This suggests that user actions, such as deleting cookies or using private browsing mode, could have triggered or exacerbated the issue, pointing to operational factors playing a role in the failure [1024].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in Article 1024 was attributed to a bug within Google's system rather than a hack. Google confirmed that the issue was not a hack but rather a bug affecting the language displayed to some users. The incident involved users being redirected to Chinese versions of Google's corporate information sites, such as the executives' page and the business information page, even after deleting cookies and enabling private browsing mode. Google spokespersons mentioned that they were investigating the issue and working to fix it soon, indicating that the failure originated from within the system [1024].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident was initially reported as a hack on Google's corporate information sites, but later Google clarified that it was not a hack but a bug affecting the language displayed to some users [1024]. (b) The failure was attributed to a bug rather than a hack, indicating that it was a software issue introduced without human participation. However, it was human actions that led to the discovery of the issue, as Google was informed by the Guardian about the problem, and a spokesperson confirmed it, saying they are now investigating the issue [1024].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 1024 was not attributed to hardware issues but rather to a bug in the software. Google clarified that the problem was "not a hack, but a bug" affecting the language displayed to some users [1024]. (b) The software failure incident in Article 1024 was specifically identified as a bug in the software. Google's spokesperson confirmed that the issue was a bug affecting the language displayed to some users, and they were working to fix it [1024].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident in Article 1024 was non-malicious. Initially, it was reported as a hack on Google's corporate information sites, but later Google clarified that it was not a hack but rather a bug affecting the language displayed to some users. The incident was attributed to a bug rather than a deliberate malicious act by an external party [1024].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) accidental_decisions (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 1024 was not due to poor decisions but rather identified as a bug by Google. The incident was initially thought to be a hack but was later clarified by Google as a bug affecting the language displayed to some users [1024]. The redirection of Google's corporate information sites to Chinese versions was a result of this bug, not a deliberate poor decision.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article when Google initially described the issue as a hack but later corrected it to be a bug. This misclassification indicates a lack of professional competence in accurately diagnosing the problem [1024]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is highlighted in the article when Google clarified that the issue was not a hack but rather a bug affecting the language displayed to some users. This suggests that the failure was unintentional and not a deliberate attack [1024].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident in this case was temporary. It was initially reported as a hack but later clarified by Google as a bug affecting the language displayed to some users [1024]. The issue was being actively investigated and worked on to be fixed soon, indicating that it was not a permanent failure but rather a temporary glitch caused by specific circumstances.
Behaviour crash, value (a) crash: The incident reported in Article 1024 was initially thought to be a hack on Google's corporate information sites but was later clarified by Google as a bug. This bug caused the site to display information in Chinese instead of English, redirecting users to the Chinese version of Google. The system was not performing its intended function of displaying information in the correct language and directing users appropriately, indicating a crash in the system's behavior [1024]. (b) omission: The software failure incident described in the article did not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance. Instead, the issue was related to the incorrect display of information and redirection to the Chinese version of Google due to a bug [1024]. (c) timing: The timing of the system's functions was not a factor in the reported software failure incident. The primary issue was the incorrect language display and redirection caused by the bug [1024]. (d) value: The software failure incident did involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly by displaying information in Chinese instead of English and redirecting users to the Chinese version of Google. This incorrect behavior was attributed to a bug in the system [1024]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue was primarily related to the bug causing incorrect language display and redirection [1024]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a bug causing the system to display information in the wrong language and redirect users to the Chinese version of Google. This behavior was not a typical crash or omission but rather a specific issue resulting from the bug [1024].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence unknown (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? The articles do not mention any consequences related to death, harm, basic needs, property loss, or impact on non-human entities due to the software failure incident. The incident primarily involved a bug that caused Google's corporate information sites to display content in Chinese instead of English, affecting user experience and access to information. The main consequence discussed was the confusion and inconvenience caused to users trying to access Google's corporate information.
Domain information (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 1024 is related to the information industry. The incident involved Google's corporate information sites being affected by a bug that caused the content to be displayed in Chinese instead of English. Users searching for Google executives were redirected to Chinese versions of the site, indicating a disruption in the production and distribution of information [1024].

Sources

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