by Ubitech,
The present blog post provides an interplay analysis between the concepts of trust and ethics within the REWIRE project, emphasizing the concept of trust from a user’s perspective. More specifically, the REWIRE’s roadmap sets out the context in which we examine the dimensions and determinants that affect the trust that humans can understand. Since the REWIRE framework and the design of the MVP establish an innovative trusted System-of-Systems (SoS), its value offering for the end-users focuses on cybersecurity and trust extensions. To this end, despite its technical standpoint, the project manages to provide strong trust evidence, including but not limited to Integrity, Safety, Consistency, Usability, Verifiability, Transparency, Accuracy, Privacy, Security, Reliability, etc.
Figure 1 showcases and describes the roadmap from the definition of Trust and Trustworthiness concepts within the REWIRE Framework to the Mapping of Trust Relationships, the Assessment of Trustworthiness with the Compute Continuum, and the Final Validation and Testing. This roadmap establishes a framework for evaluating trust and trustworthiness across complex, layered technological ecosystems involving both human and machine stakeholders. The iterative approach starts with broad conceptual definitions and gradually narrows down to practical applications and validations across specific use cases (within the context of REWIRE, Smart Cities, Smart Automotive and Smart Satellites).
Figure 1: Roadmap for the Ethical and Legal Dimensions of REWIRE project
In the context of REWIRE, we envision performing a qualitative analysis of the type of evidence that a trust assessment framework needs to have for achieving high accuracy and at the same time be ethically sound and to evaluate if the REWIRE TCB can enable such mechanisms. More specifically, REWIRE offers a systematic approach to evaluating trust in complex, distributed computing environments. The framework is ethically grounded, technically rigorous, and designed to evolve with stakeholder input, making it adaptable for a wide range of applications in the Compute Continuum.
To this end, REWIRE stresses that ethical and social aspects of trust must be understood alongside technical ones, and these concepts need to be tailored for different use cases. In addition, REWIRE incorporates mechanisms such as attestation to verify trustworthiness. This includes assessing if devices can operate robustly and safely, communicate accurately, and remain free from external interference. In addition, REWIRE adapts these principles to System-of-Systems, focusing on embedded systems and IoT elements. For instance, technical robustness includes ensuring systems are secure, resilient, and accurate, while data governance ensures lawful, ethical processing of personal and non-sensitive data. Tables outline how systems can self-assess their performance against these values, covering aspects like penetration testing, fallback mechanisms, accuracy tracking, and compliance with privacy standards such as GDPR. Finally, the last step guarantees that the REWIRE Framework is robust, adaptable, and practical. It is also the foundation for defining a “Required Trust Level” (RTL) for both components and systems. Overall, this level integrates ethical principles, technical evidence, and stakeholder insights to determine whether trust in a component is justified.