Research in high-confidence distributed information systems

Abstract

A high-confidence system is one in which the designers, implementers, and users have a high degree of assurance that the system will not fail or misbehave due to errors in the system, faults in the environment, or hostile attempts to compromise the system. Consequences of such system behavior are well understood and are predictable under an operational context envisioned by its creators. High-confidence systems (HCS) are highly secure and robust: they can withstand various threats, malicious attacks, and hardware/software component failures. Correctness, predictability, reliability, availability, security, and survivability are the key properties that constitute the basis of high confidence. We expect to have confidence in networked embedded software applications in our homes, workplaces, and vehicles. We need to understand well the implications of software design and structuring for vulnerability in these systems to failures, extreme environmental events, and security attacks. This will require both fundamental and empirical research to establish, test, validate, and improve secure networked and software-enabled system construction principles.