Legal reliability in large-scale distributed systems

Abstract

The "legal reliability" of an information system is the extent to which it is able to produce robust evidence upon which legal proceedings can be based. As such it is an essential feature of all information systems operating in the commercial and social domain. The legal test of reliability is not scientific proof or extent of assessment of quality of engineering but compliance with admissibility rules and demonstration of weight of evidence before a court. The gap between regular computer industry methods of achieving reliability and the approaches of the courts is explained. Adjustment in system development methodologies to encompass "legal reliability" are discussed. Finally it is suggested that "legal reliability" provides a new and useful determinant in the information security agenda.