Trust in Computing

Trust Process

Main components and participants identified in any trust process can be defined using the concept of trustworthiness, behaviour, and belief¹.

Three agents in a trust process, happening in a context C, include:

• X: receiver of information
• Y: sender or source of the information
• Z: authority responsible for creating and disseminating the behaviour R, against which Y conforms.

Three major components of the trust process:

1. Trustworthiness: when the source Y conforms to a behaviour R within the context of the environment C, as claimed by Z
2. Trust-attitude: the receiver X believes that the information source Y conforms to the expected behaviour R through the observations made
3. Trust-action: the receiver X performs an action as risk based on the trust-attitude.

there is also tension between speed of decision, trust-action, and trust-level (or trust-attitude) reached for the information. The desire to trust the information to a level before acting may be balanced against the need to act; such as sending resources to a rescue in a timely manner.