Verocel, a software verification company, and Certification Services, Inc. (CSI), a consultancy specializing in airborne and ground-based aviation-related digital systems, have won a research contract from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to study the use of reverse engineering techniques, which are prevalent in the development of safety-critical software for avionics and digital systems applications. The firms say the research promises to have a profound impact on accepted development practices in the multi-billion dollar avionics industry, and also will apply to reverse engineering of commercial off the shelf (COTS) software. Reverse engineering processes are those where the development of requirements, design and code are not performed in a strict sequence. The two-year project calls for Verocel and CSI to review current industry practices in reverse engineering and potential safety concerns, and will result in a proposed framework to help reduce potential risks. The ensuing guidance criteria that would implement such a framework are intended to be published as a report to help the FAA formulate future policies.