Tech ethics quiz 7

In the context of development of safety critical systems, if an undesirable event has a one percent probability of occurring, a 25 percent chance of going undetected, and a potential cost of $1,000,000, then the risk can be calculated as _____.

$2500

In one lawsuit in the early ____, a financial institution became insolvent because defects in a purchased software application caused errors in several of its systems.

1990s

_____ are defined as a set of interrelated components that include hardware, software, databases, networks, people, and procedures that collect data, process it, and disseminate the output.

Business information systems

After an organization decides to adopt _____, it must conduct an assessment of its software development practices to determine where they fit in the capability model.

CMMI-DEV

In the awarding of software contracts, particularly by the federal government, organizations that bid on a contract may be required to have adopted _____ and to be performing at a certain level.

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)

_____ defines five levels of software development maturity and identifies the issues that are most critical to software quality and process improvement.

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)

_____ can be oral, written, or inferred from the seller's conduct.

Express warranties

_____ is an important technique used to develop ISO 9001-compliant quality systems.

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)

Software developers do not typically work closely with safety and software engineers.

False

Software product litigation first occurred in 2000.

False

The impact of software defects is always trivial.

False

When developing safety-critical systems, a key assumption must be that safety will automatically result from following an organization's standard development methodology.

False

When forced to choose between adding more user features and doing more testing, most software companies decide in favor of more testing.

False

When software is well-designed, programmers make no mistakes in turning design specifications into lines of code.

False

The _____ standard serves many industries and organizations as a guide to quality products, services, and management.

ISO 9001

N-version programming is an approach to minimizing the impact of software errors by independently implementing the same set of user requirements _____ times, where N could be 2, 3, 4, or more.

N

_____ focuses on how to define, measure, and refine the quality of the development process and the products developed during its various stages.

Quality management

_____ refers to methods within the development cycle that guarantee reliable operation of the product.

Software quality assurance

Which of the following is true of software testing?

Static testing involves software programs called static analyzers which are run against new code.

_____ means that the defendant is held responsible for injuring another person, regardless of negligence or intent.

Strict liability

Which of the following is true of strategies for engineering quality software?

The first release of any software rarely meets all its users' expectations.

A successful defense against a product liability case is typically expensive in terms of legal fees.

True

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach that defines the essential elements of effective processes.

True

Risk analysis is important for safety-critical systems, but is useful for other kinds of software development as well.

True

Software quality is the degree to which a software product meets the needs of its users.

True

Software suppliers attempt to limit their liability by specifying that although software is warranted to run on a given machine configuration, no assurance is given as to what that software will do.

True

There is no federal product liability law.

True

Under the doctrine of supervening event, the original seller is not liable if the software was materially altered after it left the seller's possession and the alteration caused the injury.

True

User acceptance testing is performed by trained end users to ensure that the system operates as they expect.

True

Microsoft's third major variation of its operating system is _____.

Windows NT

If the product fails to meet the terms of its written guarantee, the buyer or lessee can sue for _____.

breach of warranty

The plaintiff must have a valid contract that the supplier did not fulfill in order to win a(n) _____ claim.

breach-of-warranty

A type of business system is the _____, which is used to develop accurate forecasts of customer demand, recommend stocks and bonds for an investment portfolio.

decision support system

One approach to quality assurance is to test the code for a completed unit of software by actually entering test data and comparing the results with the expected results in a process called _____.

dynamic testing

As a result of the lack of consistent quality in software, many organizations avoid buying the _____ release of a major software product.

first

The safety engineer uses a logging and monitoring system to track _____ from a project's start to its finish.

hazards

In the context of Capability Maturity Model Integration, process is ad hoc and chaotic; organization tends to overcommit and processes are often abandoned during times of crisis in the _____ maturity level.

initial

If an organization follows widely accepted development methods, _____on its part is hard to prove.

negligence

When sued for _____, a software supplier is not held responsible for every product defect that causes customer or third-party loss.

negligence

An airline's online ticket-reservation system and an electronic funds transfer system that moves money among banks, are examples of _____.

order-processing systems

Any defect in _____ software can lead to decreased product quality, increased waste and costs, or even unsafe operating conditions for employees.

process-control

The use of software introduces _____ that concern many executives.

product liability issues

The _____ of software, its usability, and its timely development are critical to almost everything businesses do.

quality

After an organization determines all pertinent _____ to a system, it must decide its acceptable level.

risks

A(n) _____ is one whose failure may cause human injury or death.

safety-critical system

A(n) _____ is any error that, if not removed, could cause a software system to fail to meet its users' needs.

software defect

A _____ is a standard, proven work process that enables those involved to make controlled and orderly progress in developing high-quality software.

software development methodology

Software suppliers frequently write _____ to attempt to limit their liability in the event of nonperformance.

warranties

A(n) _____assures buyers or lessees that a product meets certain standards of quality.

warranty