ADDRESSING SOFTWARE/HARDWARE CHALLENGES BY INCORPORATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE INTEGRATOR CERTIFICATION

Software is embedded in most electromechanical systems and complex facilities and has changed our lives in the same way that electricity and the internal combustion engine once did. These changes are overwhelmingly beneficial, but recent events, such as the 737 MAX crashes and problems with autonomous vehicles, demonstrate the serious consequences of software failures. The challenges are greater than isolated incidents, however. Three quarters of software projects fail. There has been a 742% average annual increase in SCC attacks over the past three years for open-source software (OSS), in many cases costing millions per incident. There have been significant increases in cyber-attacks and ransomware incidents. Human threats are adaptive, pernicious, and persistent and two US presidents have issued Executive Orders regarding software-related threats to the nation. In response to these events, a task force within the National Society of Professional Engineers proposes the creation of a certified System Software Integrator (SSI) role – a person designated to take responsibility for a system in a manner similar to other professionals with “responsible in-charge” duties. This proposal has been championed by a multi-discipline team from diverse industries, including power generation, software development, and Artificial Intelligence development. The challenge of building critical embedded software systems is not a “software problem,” but an “engineering problem” that goes well beyond writing lines of code. This is an engineering solution.