De-risking safety

Abstract

Military systems, such as advanced modular architectures, are becoming more and more complex, and have to implement increasing amounts of safety and security requirements in a demonstrable manner. The objective of the modular certification and technical modularity framework is to provide certifiers with a set of processes and techniques that allow certification of modules combinations of modules or entire systems within a common framework. The module is a logical grouping of dependability specifications for the purposes of abstraction and encapsulation. The module may be implemented by physical components, software packages, or combinations of hardware and software and can include social elements as well as technical components. This approach depends upon modules that have associated dependability cases with supporting rationale and evidence of dependability as input to the certification process. The methodology offers benefits to all stakeholders concerned with proving assurance of safety and security on a programme, particularly military avionics programmes.