Development of a Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum

The Next Generation Air Traffic Management system (NextGen) is a blueprint of the future National Airspace System. Supporting NextGen is a nation-wide Aviation Simulation Network (ASN), which allows integration of a variety of real-time simulations to facilitate development and validation of the NextGen software by simulating a wide range of operational scenarios. The ASN system is an environment, including both simulated and human-in-the-loop real-life components (pilots and air traffic controllers).Real Time Distributed Simulation (RTDS) developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a suite of applications providing low and medium fidelity en-route simulation capabilities, is one of the simulations contributing to the ASN. To support the interconnectivity with the ASN, we designed and implemented a dedicated gateway acting as an intermediary, providing logic for two-way communication and transfer messages between RTDS and ASN and storage for the exchanged data. It has been necessary to develop and analyze safety/security requirements for the gateway software based on analysis of system assets, hazards, threats and attacks related to ultimate real-life future implementation. Due to the nature of the system, the focus was placed on communication security and the related safety of the impacted aircraft in the simulation scenario. To support development of safety/security requirements, a well-established fault tree analysis technique was used. This fault tree model-based analysis, supported by a commercial tool, was a foundation to propose mitigations assuring the gateway system safety and security

Overcoming challenges on an international project to advance systems engineering

The Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering (BKCASE) project's dual product development cycle spanned a three‐year period from the September 2009 to December, 2012. During this timeframe, BKCASE authors met quarterly at various locations, primarily in various regions of the United States, but also in Stockholm, Sweden; Toulouse, France; London, England; and Rome, Italy (BKCASE, 2009–2019). The team successfully worked through challenges and differences to produce The Guide to the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK) wiki and a Graduate Reference Curriculum for Systems Engineering (GRCSE) publication. This article is a collection of personal stories from the team members that focus on overcoming obstacles to successfully produce the final published products

Utilizing a Global Network of Telescopes to Update the Ephemeris for the Highly Eccentric Planet HD 80606 b and to Ensure the Efficient Scheduling of JWST

The transiting planet HD 80606 b undergoes a 1000 fold increase in insolation during its 111 days orbit due to it being highly eccentric (e = 0.93). The planet's effective temperature increases from 400 to over 1400 K in a few hours as it makes a rapid passage to within 0.03 au of its host star during periapsis. Spectroscopic observations during the eclipse (which is conveniently oriented a few hours before periapsis) of HD 80606 b with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are poised to exploit this highly variable environment to study a wide variety of atmospheric properties, including composition, chemical and dynamical timescales, and large scale atmospheric motions. Critical to planning and interpreting these observations is an accurate knowledge of the planet's orbit. We report on observations of two full-transit events: 2020 February 7 as observed by the TESS spacecraft and 2021 December 7-8 as observed with a worldwide network of small telescopes. We also report new radial velocity observations which, when analyzed with a coupled model to the transits, greatly improves the planet's orbital ephemeris. Our new orbit solution reduces the uncertainty in the transit and eclipse timing of the JWST era from tens of minutes to a few minutes. When combined with the planned JWST observations, this new precision may be adequate to look for non-Keplerian effects in the orbit of HD 80606 b

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

Software Assurance Curriculum Project Volume III: Master of Software Assurance Course Syllabi

Modern society depends on software systems of ever-increasing scope and complexity in virtually every sphere of human activity including business, finance, energy, transportation, education, communication, government, and defense. Because the consequences of failure can be severe, dependable functionality and security are essential. As a result, software assurance is emerging as an important discipline for the development, acquisition, and operation of software systems and services that provide requisite levels of dependability and security.This report, the third volume in the Software Assurance Curriculum Project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides sample syllabi for the nine core courses in the Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum. That curriculum, detailed in Volume I, Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-005), presents a body of knowledge from which to create a Master of Software Assurance degree program, as both a stand-alone offering and as a track within existing software engineering and computer science master\u27s degree programs. Volume II, Undergraduate Course Outlines (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-019), presents seven course outlines that could be used in an undergraduate curriculum specialization for software assurance.This volume is part of our transition plan for assisting educators who wish to implement a Master of Software Assurance degree program, specialization, or certificate program. In addition to application in a standard university program, these syllabi may also be useful for educators developing courses for industry practitioners

Development of a Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum

The Next Generation Air Traffic Management system (NextGen) is a blueprint of the future National Airspace System. Supporting NextGen is a nation-wide Aviation Simulation Network (ASN), which allows integration of a variety of real-time simulations to facilitate development and validation of the NextGen software by simulating a wide range of operational scenarios. The ASN system is an environment, including both simulated and human-in-the-loop real-life components (pilots and air traffic controllers).Real Time Distributed Simulation (RTDS) developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a suite of applications providing low and medium fidelity en-route simulation capabilities, is one of the simulations contributing to the ASN. To support the interconnectivity with the ASN, we designed and implemented a dedicated gateway acting as an intermediary, providing logic for two-way communication and transfer messages between RTDS and ASN and storage for the exchanged data. It has been necessary to develop and analyze safety/security requirements for the gateway software based on analysis of system assets, hazards, threats and attacks related to ultimate real-life future implementation. Due to the nature of the system, the focus was placed on communication security and the related safety of the impacted aircraft in the simulation scenario. To support development of safety/security requirements, a well-established fault tree analysis technique was used. This fault tree model-based analysis, supported by a commercial tool, was a foundation to propose mitigations assuring the gateway system safety and security

Software Assurance Curriculum Project Volume I: Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum

Modern society depends on software systems of ever-increasing scope and complexity in virtually every sphere of human activity, including business, finance, energy, transportation, education, communication, government, and defense. Because the consequences of failure can be severe, dependable functionality and security are essential. As a result, software assurance is emerging as an important discipline for the development, acquisition, and operation of software systems and services that provide requisite levels of dependability and security. This report is the first volume in the Software Assurance Curriculum Project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This report presents a body of knowledge from which to create a Master of Software Assurance degree program, as both a stand-alone offering and as a track within existing software engineering and computer science master‘s degree programs. The report details the process used to create the curriculum and presents the body of knowledge, curriculum architecture, student prerequisites, and expected student outcomes. It also outlines an implementation plan for faculty and other professionals who are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining graduate software engineering programs that have a focus on software assurance knowledge and practices. The second volume, Undergraduate Course Outlines (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-019), presents seven course outlines that could be used in an undergraduate curriculum specialization for software assurance

Software Assurance Curriculum Project Volume III: Master of Software Assurance Course Syllabi

Modern society depends on software systems of ever-increasing scope and complexity in virtually every sphere of human activity including business, finance, energy, transportation, education, communication, government, and defense. Because the consequences of failure can be severe, dependable functionality and security are essential. As a result, software assurance is emerging as an important discipline for the development, acquisition, and operation of software systems and services that provide requisite levels of dependability and security.This report, the third volume in the Software Assurance Curriculum Project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides sample syllabi for the nine core courses in the Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum. That curriculum, detailed in Volume I, Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-005), presents a body of knowledge from which to create a Master of Software Assurance degree program, as both a stand-alone offering and as a track within existing software engineering and computer science master's degree programs. Volume II, Undergraduate Course Outlines (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-019), presents seven course outlines that could be used in an undergraduate curriculum specialization for software assurance.This volume is part of our transition plan for assisting educators who wish to implement a Master of Software Assurance degree program, specialization, or certificate program. In addition to application in a standard university program, these syllabi may also be useful for educators developing courses for industry practitioners.</p