Evaluating Hazard Mitigations with Dependability Cases
• SEI Report
Publisher
Software Engineering Institute
Abstract
There is growing interest in using a structure of claims, arguments, and evidence to explain why all critical software hazards have been eliminated or adequately mitigated in mission-critical and safety-critical systems. Such a structure has been called a dependability case, an assurance case, or a (goal-structured) safety case. Dependability cases are sometimes viewed as adding no extra value, e.g., given an existing hazard analysis, what is the added value of a dependability case showing how the hazard is mitigated? In this paper we present an example to show the value a dependability case adds to a traditional hazard analysis.
Part of a Collection
Resources for Assurance Cases
Cite This SEI Report
Barry, M., & Goodenough, J. (2009, April 21). Evaluating Hazard Mitigations with Dependability Cases. Retrieved August 19, 2026, from https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/evaluating-hazard-mitigations-with-dependability-cases/.
@techreport{barry_2009,
author={Barry, Matthew and Goodenough, John},
title={Evaluating Hazard Mitigations with Dependability Cases},
month={Apr},
year={2009},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
url={https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/evaluating-hazard-mitigations-with-dependability-cases/},
note={Accessed: 2026-Aug-19}
}
Barry, Matthew , and John Goodenough. "Evaluating Hazard Mitigations with Dependability Cases." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, April 21, 2009. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/evaluating-hazard-mitigations-with-dependability-cases/.
M. Barry, and J. Goodenough, "Evaluating Hazard Mitigations with Dependability Cases," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, 21-Apr-2009 [Online]. Available: https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/evaluating-hazard-mitigations-with-dependability-cases/. [Accessed: 19-Aug-2026].
Barry, Matthew , and John Goodenough. "Evaluating Hazard Mitigations with Dependability Cases." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, 21 Apr. 2009. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/evaluating-hazard-mitigations-with-dependability-cases/. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.
Barry, Matthew ; & Goodenough, John. Evaluating Hazard Mitigations with Dependability Cases. Software Engineering Institute. 2009. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/evaluating-hazard-mitigations-with-dependability-cases/