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Top 10 Software Glitches of 2011

By | December 6, 2011, 1:48pm PST

Summary: In 2011, myriad software glitches resulted in lost communications, lost revenues, lost privacy, and national security threats.

Our friends at WebLayers just released their annual Top Ten list of the worst computer glitches to have wreaked havoc across the globe this past year.  I would have picked the Amazon Web Services outage as number one, but it looks like RIM walks away with the honors this year.

The glitches compiled by WebLayers actually had very grave consequences to large numbers of people. Communication was disabled, tax revenue went unclaimed, government secrets were stolen, and many small to medium-size businesses went dark for days and weeks as a result of software issues.

Here is the list:

1. Millions of RIM BlackBerry Users Lose Service

2. Software glitch costs UK tax office millions in lost revenue

3. Amazon’s cloud collapses

4. Hacker attacks Sony Playstation Network account holders

5. Citigroup customers’ information breached

6. Pentagon details major cyberattack

7. Computer glitch sets 450 highly dangerous prisoners free

8. Mercedes-Benz cars recalls 137,000 SUVs

9. More than 400,000 UK organ donation details stored incorrectly

10. Bug allows HP printers to be remotely hacked

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Topics

Joe McKendrick is an author, consultant and speaker specializing in trends and developments shaping the technology industry.

Disclosure

Joe McKendrick

Joe McKendrick is an independent consultant, editor and speaker.

Joe has performed project work (white papers, articles, blogs, research and presentations) for the following companies in the IT marketspace:

  • CBS Interactive/CNET/ZDNet (this blog)
  • ebizQ
  • Evans Data
  • Gartner
  • IBM
  • Informatica
  • IDC
  • Microsoft
  • Systinet/HP
  • Teradata
  • Unisphere Reseach, a division of Information Today, Inc.
  • WebLayers

Joe has also performed research work for the following sponsoring organizations in partnership with Unisphere Research, a division of Information Today, Inc.

  • IBM
  • Luminex
  • Noetix
  • Oracle Corp.
  • Teradata
  • Informatica
  • International Oracle Users Group
  • Oracle Applications Users Group
  • Professional Association for SQL Server
  • International DB2 Users Group
  • International Sybase Users Group
  • SHARE (IBM large systems users group)

Biography

Joe McKendrick

Joe McKendrick is an author and independent analyst who tracks the impact of information technology on management and markets. Joe is co-author, along with 16 leading industry leaders and thinkers, of the SOA Manifesto, which outlines the values and guiding principles of service orientation. He also speaks frequently on Enterprise 2.0 and SOA topics at industry events and Webcasts, and serves on the program committee for this year's SOA & Cloud Symposium in London. As an independent analyst, he has also authored numerous research reports in partnership with Unisphere Research, a division of Information Today, Inc. for user groups such as SHARE, Oracle Applications Users Group, and International DB2 Users Group. In a previous life, Joe served as director of the Administrative Management Society (AMS), an international professional association dedicated to advancing knowledge within the IT and business management fields. He is a graduate of Temple University.

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RE: Top 10 Software Glitches of 2011
Martmarty 7th Dec
@VhinzSanchez
Made me smile, but I guess this is possible, especially if the said Avira is not the personal version. If Avira is a corporate version and is pirated, then Avira server might indeed upload viruses to the machine with pirated copies.
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Glitches are not the same as hacks!
0 Votes
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Why hack Printers ...remotely? Print resum??'s?
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AESCRIPT.DLL as "TR/Spy.463227"
VhinzSanchez 6th Dec
How about avira's virus sig update which tagged itself as trojan...classic
0 Votes
+ -
@VhinzSanchez
Made me smile, but I guess this is possible, especially if the said Avira is not the personal version. If Avira is a corporate version and is pirated, then Avira server might indeed upload viruses to the machine with pirated copies.
0 Votes
+ -
Not technically a glitch but Firefox's rapid release program

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