Modelling trust in the i strategic actors framework.pdfVIP

Modelling Trust in the i* Strategic Actors Framework Eric Yu and Lin Liu Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G6 {yu, liu }@fis.utoronto.ca ABSTRACT The i* framework models intentional dependency relationships among strategic actors and their rationales. Actors depend on each other for goals to be achieved, tasks to be performed, and resources to be furnished. The concept of softgoal is used to model quality attributes for which there are no a priori, clear-cut criteria for satisfaction, but are judged by actors as being sufficiently met (“satisficed”) on a case-by-case basis. The framework was developed to support requirement analysis and high-level design in an agent-oriented system development paradigm. In this paper, we explore the use of i* for modelling trust relationships. Trustworthiness is treated as a softgoal to be satisficed from the viewpoint of each stakeholder. Contributions to trustworthiness are considered using a qualitative reasoning approach. Examples from the smart card domain are used to illustrate. 1. INTRODUCTION Trust is becoming a central issue in today’s increasingly networked information systems. For example, in electronic commerce, exchanges often take place among parties unfamiliar to each other, and whose identities may be transitory. Different parts of networks and systems may be operated by parties with conflicting interests or even malicious intent. Furthermore, many of the technologies, as well as business models, are new and their viability is unproven. Techniques for systems analysis and design have, in the past, focused primarily on addressing functional requirements, assuming that all parties are trusted. Given today’s environments, there is need for new techniques that would bring issues of trust, risk, and vulnerability prominently into the system analysis and design process. The i* framework [12] was developed for modelling intentional relationships among strategic