Trustworthy computing

Abstract: Organizations such as Microsoft's Trusted Computing Group and Sun Microsystems' Liberty Alliance are currently leading the debate on "trustworthy computing." However, these and other initiatives primarily focus on security, and trustworthiness depends on many other attributes. To address this problem, the University of Oldenburg's TrustSoft Graduate School aims to provide a holistic view of trustworthiness in software - one that considers system construction, evaluation/analysis, and certification - in an interdisciplinary setting. Component technology is the foundation of our research program. The choice of a component architecture greatly influences the resulting software systems' nonfunctional properties. We are developing new methods for the rigorous design of trustworthy software systems with predictable, provable, and ultimately legally certifiable system properties. We are well aware that it is impossible to build completely error-free complex software systems. We therefore complement fault-prevention and fault-removal techniques with fault-tolerance methods that introduce redundancy and diversity into software systems. Quantifiable attributes such as availability, reliability, and performance call for analytical prediction models, which require empirical studies for calibration and validation. To consider the legal aspects of software certification and liability, TrustSoft integrates the disciplines of computer science and computer law.

Abstract: The report of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) has placed CPS on the top of the priority list for federal research investment [6]. This article first reviews some of the challenges and promises of CPS, followed by an articulation of some specific challenges and promises that are more closely related to the sensor networks, ubiquitous and trustworthy computing conference.

Abstract: The pursuit of responsible AI raises the ante on both the trustworthy computing and formal methods communities.

Abstract: The reputation-oriented trust issue is critical to e-commerce applications and has drawn much attention from both industry and the research community. Existing e-commerce systems have introduced trust management mechanisms that provide some rating information to customers. However, more comprehensive mechanisms should be provided to more precisely depict the trust level of sellers on potential transactions, and the relationship between interacting entities. Here, the authors review the reputation-based trust evaluation mechanisms in literature and outline some trust issues that are particularly important in e-commerce environments.