High Confidence Software and Systems Conference

May 12-14, 2025 | Annapolis, Maryland

About HCSS

Each year, the High Confidence Software and Systems (HCSS) Conference convenes leading researchers to explore groundbreaking advancements in the design and development of critical systems. The conference focuses on the scientific and technological innovations needed to drive the next generation of life-, safety-, security-, and mission-critical systems. Join us for the 25th annual HCSS Conference, taking place May 12–14, 2025.

The pervasive role of information technology and cyber-physical systems (CPS) in our lives forces us to rely in diverse and often unexpected ways upon the correctness and integrity of those computing systems—with our privacy, safety, security, and well-being all increasingly dependent upon them.

The High Confidence Software and Systems (HCSS) Conference, now in its third decade, was created to support the interchange of ideas among researchers, practitioners, and research managers from Government, research labs, and industry practice. HCSS provides a forum for dialogue centered upon the development of scientific foundations together with innovative and enabling software and hardware technologies for the assured engineering of complex computing systems. These systems, which include networked and cyber-physical systems, must be capable of interacting correctly, safely, and securely with humans and the physical world even while they operate in changing and possibly malicious environments with unforeseen conditions. In many cases, they must be certifiably dependable.

New foundations in science, technology, and advanced practice continue to be needed to build these systems with computing, communication, information, and control pervasively embedded at all levels. These new foundations have the potential to enable entirely new generations of engineering designs that are becoming essential for effectively operating life-, safety-, security-, and mission-critical applications, and that can enhance US competitiveness across economic and industrial sectors, while assuring the privacy, safety, and security of our Nation’s citizenry.

With a technical emphasis on mathematically-based tools and techniques, and scientific foundations supporting evidence creation and systems assurance and security, the HCSS conference pursues the goal of growing a skilled practitioner community through a program of invited speakers, panel discussions, and a relevant and compelling technical track. The conference vision is one of motivating, sustaining, and growing a community focused around the creation of dependable systems that are capable, efficient, and responsive; that can work in dangerous or inaccessible environments; that can support large-scale, distributed coordination; that augment human capabilities; that can advance the mission of national security; and that enhance quality of life, safety, and security.

Questions? Email the organizers at hcss@sos-vo.org

2025 Program Committee

P R O G R A M C O - C H A I R S
DARREN COFER is a Principal Fellow at Collins Aerospace. He earned his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. His area of expertise is developing and applying advanced analysis methods and tools for verification and certification of high-integrity systems. His background includes work with formal methods for system and software analysis, the design of real-time embedded systems for safety-critical applications, and the development of nuclear propulsion systems in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Cofer has served as principal investigator on government-sponsored research programs with NASA, NSA, AFRL, and DARPA, developing and using formal methods for verification of safety and security properties. He served on RTCA committee SC-205 developing new certification guidance for airborne software (DO-178C) and was one of the developers of the Formal Methods Supplement (DO-333). He is a member of SAE committee G-34 for Artificial Intelligence in Aviation, the Aerospace Control and Guidance Systems Committee (ACGSC), and a senior member of the IEEE.		SANDEEP NEEMA is a Professor with the Department of Computer Science, and Director of the Institute for Software Integrated Systems, Vanderbilt University. He served a Program manager at DARPA’s Information Innovation Office (I2O) from July 2016 till September 2022. In his tenure at DARPA he conceived, developed, and managed influential programs at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Physical Systems, that included programs such as Assured Autonomy, Symbiotic Design of Cyber Physical Systems, and Assured Neurosymbolic Learning and Reasoning. His research interests include Cyber Physical Systems, Model-based Design Methodologies, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and Distributed Real-time Systems. Dr. Neema has authored and co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed conference, journal publications, and book chapters. Dr. Neema holds a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Vanderbilt University, and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Utah State University. He earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India.
P R O G R A M C O M M I T T E E
PERRY ALEXANDER, The University of Kansas JUNE ANDRONICK, Proofcraft KATHLEEN FISHER, DARPA JOHN HATCLIFF, Kansas State University JOHN LAUNCHBURY, Galois, Inc. PATRICK LINCOLN, SRI International STEPHEN MAGILL, Sonatype BRAD MARTIN, National Security Agency	LEE PIKE, Amazon Web Services RAY RICHARDS, Leidos KRISTIN YVONNE ROZIER, Iowa State University WILLIAM SCHERLIS, Carnegie Mellon University ERIC W. SMITH, Kestrel Institute ADAM W, National Cyber Security Centre SEAN WEAVER, DARPA MATT WILDING, DARPA
O R G A N I Z A T I O N
KATIE DEY, Vanderbilt University