Proof of Concept
In project management , a proof of concept is a milestone at which the basic feasibility of a project is proven. In many cases, the positive or negative proof of concept is the result of a feasibility study . As a rule, the proof of concept is usually associated with the development of a prototype that has the required core functionality.
Arguments and goals
Risks in the decision can be minimized by means of a proof of concept. As a rule, the following arguments are in the foreground:
- Risk minimization for decision-making bases and budget
- Validation of critical application requirements
- Acceptance test of the application in cooperation with manufacturers and partners.
- The prototype (software) also serves as the basis for better communication in the project team about concrete things (instead of abstract models).
IT area
For projects to introduce new company software , a proof of concept is sometimes implemented: This involves installing the software and connecting to selected interfaces. In this way, one first reaches exactly the points that are described in the definition of prototyping (software development) .
An example project is a complex system environment with various dependencies, e.g. B. Interfaces to other user software.
Additional goals are then: On the one hand, to work out a reliable list of requirements together, on the other hand, the proof of concept enables selected requirements for the new software / architecture to be tested in this project phase.
Computer security area
The same term is also used in the field of computer security . In this environment, it is considered a proof of concept if a security hole is exploited by the discoverer without triggering a malicious function. This proves that there is a security problem so that the software manufacturer cannot or can no longer deny it. This puts the manufacturer under pressure to close the loophole (with a patch ); a serious security loophole may require an immediate hotfix .
An example could be that it is possible to start the calculator program on a remote computer without having regular authorization to start programs there. If this succeeds, it has been proven that a program start is possible; a malicious attacker could presumably also start other programs and thus cause damage.
abbreviation
In IT, the proof of concept is also abbreviated to PoC.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Recommendation for optimized proof of concept support in knowledge transfer. (PDF) German Council for Research and Technology Development, December 3, 2013, p. 2/6 , accessed on November 23, 2019 .