Verification and validation of automated systems’ safety and security

Aim and goal

The project aimed to design a multi-domain framework to create a clear structure around the components and elements needed to conduct the V&V process. This included to design, implement and evaluate methods and tools in order to reduce the time and cost needed to verify and validate automated systems with respect to safety, cybersecurity and privacy requirements.

Challenge

Failures in highly automated systems can be catastrophic. With increasing complexity and connectivity, unknown properties of systems may emerge making it necessary to conduct thorough verification and validation of the systems. The high complexity of automated systems makes the V&V process time-consuming and costly.

Solution

The main benefit of the multi-domain framework developed by the project is to reduce time and cost needed to verify and validate automated systems. This was done through identification and classification of evaluation methods, tools, environments and concepts for V&V of automated systems. 
To this end, VALU3S brought together a consortium with partners from 10 different countries, amounting to a mix of 25 industrial partners, 6 leading research institutes, and 10 universities. 13 use cases with specific safety, security and privacy requirements were studied in detail. 

Effect

The methods investigated are used to design improved process workflows for V&V of automated systems. Several tools were implemented supporting the improved processes which are evaluated by qualification and quantification of safety, security and privacy as well as other evaluation criteria using demonstrators. 

VALU3S aimed to also influence the development of safety, security and privacy standards through an active participation in related standardisation groups and provided guidelines to the testing community including engineers and researchers. This will give room for improvement considering the cost, time and effort of conducting the tests. This ensures that European manufacturers of automated systems remain competitive and that they remain world leaders.