Computer-Related Risks

When computer systems fail, or the people using them cause errors, the results range from mere inconvenience to outright disaster. This fascinating book by the world expert on the topic brings to our attention the risks inherent in computer use. Using accounts of actual mishaps and accidents, the book characterizes different kinds of computer-related risks, discusses their causes, considers their implications, and suggests ways to minimize such risks in the future. The book features sections on reliability and safety problems, security vulnerabilities, privacy, and global systems. This book is important for software developers and policy makers seeking to expand the role of computers in our daily lives.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and a few to be chewed and digested. Francis BaconThis book is based on a remarkable collection of mishaps and oddities relating to computer technology. It considers what has gone wrong in the past, what is likely to go wrong in the future, and what can be done to minimize the occurrence of further problems. It may provide meat and potatoes to some readers and tasty desserts to others --- and yet may seem almost indigestible to some would-be readers. However, it should be intellectually and technologically thought-provoking to all.Many of the events described here have been discussed in the on-line computer newsgroup, theRisks Forum Risks to the Public in the Use of Computers and Related Systems(referred to here simply asRISKS), which I have moderated since its inception in 1985, under the auspices of the Association for Computing (ACM). Most of these events have been summarized in the quarterly publication of the ACM Special Interest Group on Software Engineering (SIGSOFT),Software Engineering Notes (SEN), which I edited from its beginnings in 1976 through 1993 and to which I continue to contribute the"RISKS"section. Because those sources represent a fascinating archive that is not widely available, I have distilled the more important material and added further discussion and analysis.Most of the events selected for inclusion relate to roles that computers and communication systems play in our lives. Some events exhibit problems with technology and its application; some events illustrate a wide range of human behavior, such as malice, inadvertent actions, incompetence, ignorance, carelessness, or lack of experience; some events are attributable to causes over which we have little control, such as natural disasters. Some of the events are old; others are recent, although some of the newer ones seem strangely reminiscent of earlier ones. Because such events continue to happen and because they affect us in so many different ways, it is essential that we draw realistic conclusions from this collection --- particularly if the book is to help us avoid future disasters. Indeed, the later chapters focus on the technology itself and discuss what can be done to overcome or control the risks.I hope that the events described and the conclusions drawn are such that much of the material will be accessible to readers with widely differing backgrounds. I have attempted to find a middle ground for a diverse set of readers, so that the book can be interesting and informative for students and professionals in the computer field, practitioners and technologists in other fields, and people with only a general interest in technology. The book is particularly relevant to students of software engineering, system engineering, and computer science, for whom it could be used as a companion source. It is also valuable for anyone studying reliability, fault tolerance, safety, or security; some introductory material is included for people who have not been exposed to those topics. In addition, the book is appropriate for people who develop or use computer-based applications. Less technically oriented readers may skip some of the details and instead read the book primarily for its anecdotal material. Other readers may wish to pursue the technological aspects more thoroughly, chasing down relevant cited references --- for historical, academic, or professional reasons. The book is relatively self-contained, but includes many references and notes for the reader who wishes to pursue the details further. Some readers may indeed wish to browse, whereas others may find the book to be the tip of an enormous iceberg that demands closer investigation.In my presentations of the cases, I have attempted to be specific about the causes and actual circumstances wherever specifics were both available and helpful. Ine