FM Approaches to Assurance Cases

Assurance cases are a key concept in communicating dependability assurance of computer systems among the stakeholders. Noting an analogy between assurance cases and proofs, we plan to apply the technology of interactive proof assistants for construction and assessment of assurance cases. Fig. 1 An illustration of GSN from [5] Note The purpose of this report is to record our presentation given at Workshop on Assurance Cases for Softwarebased Systems in a Regulatory Environment: justifying and communicating complex risks Workshop on Assurance Cases for Software-based Systems in a Regulatory Environment: justifying and communicating complex risks held at Software Engineering Institute, Arlington, VA USA, on May 28-29, 2009. It is in a series of closed workshops organized by the International Working Group on Assurance Cases since 2004, participated in by foremost practioners, scholars, developers, and regulators who has been influential in the current upsurge momentum for the Assurance Case approach. Following our fact-finding visit on Assurance Cases to Professor Robin Bloomfield of City University London, one of the organizers, we were invited to present our view on Assurance Cases at the workshop.