Security and reliability challenges in component-based software for consumer devices

Consumer devices have domain specific constraints imposed by end-users, device manufacturers and service providers. These constraints focus on the need for security and reliability support for service infrastructures. For device manufacturers this adds new requirements in an already challenging and dynamic market. Seeking to maximize return on software investment manufacturers have begun to approach reuse-centric software architectures and processes. This normally concentrates on the development, configuration and deployment of software components. The current trend for manufacturers is to use component-based technology to make device software more adaptable at production and in the field. This new form of software construction raises issues regarding the provision of security and reliability in these systems.