Forensic Software Engineering

CS 851:5

MW 11:30-12:45

Olsson 236D

John C. Knight, Kimberly S. Hanks

Today’s Agenda

Brief introduction Overview of forensic software engineering

Administrative details Contact info sheet Course requirements Presentation scheduling

Overview

Forensics: Broadly, the application of science to the law Generally in service of finding out “what

happened” during the course of a legally relevant eventWhat is the evidence?Does the evidence point to a crime? If so, who is responsible?

Forensic Engineering

“What happened” during the course of an industrially relevant event? Mainly concerned with events that result in

tragedies and other losses This information is often used for assigning

blame, but more ideally for improving the system

Forensic Software Engineering

“What happened” during the course of an industrially relevant event that involved software? Systems with software as components Systems directing the production of software

Might or might not know initially that software was involved

FSE, con’t.

We will examine Failure across industries

Looking for paradigmatic failure types Failures in which software contributed

Role of software as component of complex system Sources of faulty software in and of itself

Development process as complex system

Goals

Use “what happened” to characterize “what happens”

Debunk convenient explanations in favor of more rigorous ones

Generate strategies for prevention Generate strategies for making investigation

more efficient, valuable, and trustworthy

Contact Info Sheet

Name Email Department Level

Course Org and Reqs

Seminar format Reading Presentations Assignments Participation Project No final exam

Presentation Scheduling

Calendar

Stray bits

Kim: ksh4q John: knight Use “forensic” in the subject line www.cs.virginia.edu/~cs851 Office hours: MW 12:45-1:30, 113 Olsson Keep Fridays available at this time