Computer Liability, Safety & Reliability

Computer Liability

• Computer liability is the legal responsibility of individuals or organizations for damages caused by their use of computers, software, or online services
• Liability includes issues like data breaches, software defects, or unauthorized access
• Individuals may be held legally accountable if their computer-related actions cause harm to others

Malfunction of Computers - Hardware and Software Reliability

• Hardware reliability refers to the dependability of a computer's physical components over time without failure
• Software reliability is the dependability of programs and applications to perform tasks accurately and consistently

Safety

• Computer safety involves protecting computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, theft, or disruption
• Systems must operate securely and reliably, while being safeguarded from cyber threats

Misinterpretation of Information

• Misinterpretations about computer liability can cause legal and operational issues for enterprises
• Misinterpretations includes imprecise communication, a lack of legal knowledge, or reliance on wrong sources
• Underestimating responsibility for safeguarding computer systems can lead to inadequate security measures and potential legal action

Liability for Defective Information

• Providing false or misleading information about computer liability can lead to financial losses or legal infractions
• Software vendors may be held accountable if they make false claims about product compatibility
• Establishing culpability necessitates expert analysis to demonstrate that erroneous information caused injury

Evaluation of Safety-Critical Systems

• Safety-critical systems are those where errors could cause damage, injury, or large economic loss
• These systems require high reliability in industries like aviation, health care, automotive, and energy
• Examples include flight control, medical devices, vehicular safety, and nuclear reactor control
• Evaluation is essential for real-world safety and functionality due to their complexity and potential impact

Importance of Evaluation of Safety-Critical Systems

• Preserving human life is the main reason for evaluating safety-critical systems
• Failure of systems in aviation, healthcare, or automotive can result in loss of life
• Environmental and Societal Impact: Safety-critical systems carry the risk of environmental damage
• Malfunctions in nuclear power plants could lead to meltdowns or radioactive leaks
• System developers must perform their ethical obligation within industry standards to ensure system safety

Methods for Evaluating Safety-Critical Systems

• Verification ensures the system is built correctly
• Validation ensures it is serving its intended purpose

Safety Analysis

• Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) identifies potential causes of failure
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) analyzes how serious potential failure modes are
• Determining Hazardous Situation and risk

Testing

• Simulation/Modeling predicts system behavior in different scenarios
• Stress Testing checks system performance under extreme conditions
• Redundancy/Failover Testing checks backup systems to ensure they work in case of failure

Values in Design

• Values in Design ensures technology reflects human values such as privacy, security, fairness, and inclusivity
• It aligns with societal values and is guided by Value Sensitive Design (VSD)
• VSD, a method developed by researchers like Batya Friedman, helps designers think about values from the start

How It Works

• Conceptual investigations figures out who's affected and what values matter to them
• Empirical investigations studies how people interact with the technology to see if it supports those values, using surveys and interviews
• Technical investigations tweaks the design to better fit the values, like adding privacy setting to a website

Why It Matters

• Without considering values, technology can cause problems
• Social media apps leaking personal data or AI systems showing bias
• VSD incorporates ethics into design; deciding on values is challenging (e.g., convenience vs. privacy)

Software and Design Problems

• Problems arise during designing and developing software applications; flaws in system architecture, poor user interface choices, and inadequate functionality
• Potential errors can hinder the software's performance, usability, or maintainability
• Software design doesn't effectively meet the intended requirements during usage and development

Requirements Ambiguity

• The Software and design refers to unclearness, vagueness, or open to multiple interpretations; like miscommunication, incorrect implementation, and delays during development

Scalability Issues

• Problems arise when a system cannot efficiently handle increasing loads or user numbers.
• Results in slow performance, crashes, beyond the initial capacity.

Security Risks

• Refers to potential vulnerabilities within a software application, gain unauthorized access to sensitive data and Neglecting essential security measures

Technology Changes

• Technology change is needed to adapt to new tools, frameworks
• Developers continuously learn and maintain relevant software, leading to migration, compatibility issues

User Experience Trade-offs

• Designers choose between design elements that may improve one aspect of the user while harming another

Elimination of Hardware Switch

• A hardware switch refers to a physical device or component used to control electricity or signal

Why We Need to Eliminate Hardware Switch

• Cost Efficiency hardware switches are expensive to maintenance
• Energy Efficiency consume physical resources for their operation
• Scalability and Flexibility software-based solutions and virtual switches can be more scalable
• Ease of Configuration and Management managing a large number of physical hardware switches can be complex and time-consuming

Advantage & Disadvantage of Eliminating Hardware Switch

• Software-Based Control computers would rely more on software or virtual interfaces functions
• Example: Alexa, a voice-controlled software that allows users to interact with devices and services using voice commands

Advantages

• The computer would automate tasks previously triggered manually via hardware switches
• User Interface: UI needs to handle virtual power controls, settings adjustments, and system feedback to easily use the system
• Energy Efficiency: Hardware switches consume physical resources

Disadvantages

• Increased Complexity in Repair: Hardware switches are tangible and can be easily replaced or repaired when they fail
• Security Consideration: More reliance on software means there's a higher risk of cybersecurity
• Reliability Concerns Eliminating these software or touch control might result in delays, software glitches, or unreliable behavior
• Dependency of Specific OS or firmware: Vendor Lock-in, lack of flexibility, and maintenance costs

Taking Responsibility - Accountability in a Computerized Society

• Shifting from human controlled physical mechanisms to software-driven decision-making in digital systems
• Responsible digital governance is critical, ethical, legal, and security concerns

Accountability in a Computerized Society

• When software controlled system fails: autonomous system or smart home security, who is held accountable?
• Ensure transparency in decision-making: Algorithm criteria and audit ability of decisions
• Automated Trading Systems Regulators ensure algorithmic strategies from unfair advantage and market manipulation

Cybersecurity Measures:

• Encryption, access control, and authentication protocols, only authorized personnel can critical digital systems.
• Reduces malicious tampering and negligence