Defective software a problem for lawyers

‘It has been estimated that there are five faults in every 1 000 lines of software code where this code has been rigorously tested … but there is no reasonable prospect of improvement as software becomes ever more complicated.’ This innate defectiveness of software, according to Marshall, poses a challenge to the lawyer. The many phases of a software cycle involve not only developers, but also business analysts, systems analysts and other third-party testers. It is in the software testing phase in which most faults should be detected. However, says Marshall, it can be difficult to determine who to blame if software failure causes loss. He adds that the cost implications of software testing also play a role: ‘Given that a tester will never find all defects in software, it is thus clear that a balance must be struck between cost and “acceptable” level of faults in the software when determining the amount of testing to be undertaken.’ Full report on the Legalbrief site