What it means
It connects claims, reasoning, evidence, limitations, and context so reviewers can see why the available testing, analysis, process, and operational data justify confidence.
Why it matters
No single test proves a complex system secure. An assurance case makes the combined basis for trust visible and open to challenge.
Practical focus
- State specific claims and operating assumptions
- Use diverse evidence appropriate to the risk
- Expose uncertainty, limitations, and unresolved findings
- Maintain the case as the system and threat environment change
Common mistakes
- Treating evidence volume as assurance quality
- Making absolute claims that cannot be supported
- Hiding contradictory evidence
- Producing the case only after design and testing are complete
Certification relevance
This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge: