CSC 379:Week 5, Group 5
Software Safety: Accident Models - Systems Theory vs. Chain of Events
Skim through the following paper (focus on sections 1, 2.3, and 3, skip figures and tables) entitled "A Systems-Theoretic Approach to Safety in Software-Intensive Systems" by Nancy G. Leveson, a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, then answer the following questions:
What are some shortcomings of traditional methods of accident reporting when applied to complex systems like software systems?
- Blame - "reports stopped after assigning blame—usually to the operators who interacted with the software—and never got to the root of why the accident occurred"
"in dealing with software in safety-critical systems is the result of inappropriately attempting to extend the techniques that were successful in simpler, electromechanical systems and were based on models of accident causation that no longer apply"
How does the STAMP model improve accident prevention efforts? Explain some general concepts of the model.
"Systems theory allows more complex relationships between events to be considered"
What are some appropriate applications of the STAMP model (both current and past)? Explain.
What are some ethical concerns of assigning blame for accidents?
The majority of the content you need to form an informed response to the above questions is included in the paper. Bring in outside resources and topics discussed in class lectures as appropriate to support your response.