Call for papers-special section on: quality/reliability engineering of information systems

Abstract

THE objective of this special section is to present imperative needs for important advances in developing quality/reliability engineering approaches to dependable information systems. As people increasingly rely on information systems to support critical operations in defense, banking, telecommunication, transportation, electric power, etc., the security & dependability of information systems are necessary. However, information systems have encountered many quality/reliability problems caused by both internal factors (e.g., system vulnerabilities) and external factors (e.g., intrusions by malicious hackers). Special characteristics of information systems have presented both considerable challenges and unique opportunities for researchers in the quality/reliability engineering. This special section will help researchers gain a better understanding of quality/reliability problems with information systems, and thus draw the attention and interest of researchers in this new frontier. Focus: • Design of software programs (including mobile code) and information infrastructures (including network architectures) to overcome security vulnerabilities of information systems. • Detection of intrusions into information systems, in a scalable & robust manner to provide early and reliable warnings. • Tolerance of intrusions and their negative impacts on information systems, to maintain the timely & correct functioning of information systems. Of special interest are research papers that extend conventional quality/reliability engineering theories & techniques, e.g.: • Statistical process control • Risk analysis and assessment • Probabilistic reasoning • Quality/reliability modeling of systems and activities • Engineering design for quality/reliability, or that apply innovative quality/reliability engineering approaches for these topics. Papers not falling in these topics but relating to quality/reliability engineering of information systems are also welcome.