Trustworthiness of processed data

1. A computer-implemented method for indicating a trustworthiness of data processed in accordance with a processing rule, the computer-implemented method comprising:

assigning, by one or more processors, a first trust weight to a data item to be processed to provide a weighted data item, the first trust weight representing a level of trust in the data item;

assigning, by one or more processors, a second trust weight to the processing rule to provide a weighted processing rule, the second trust weight representing a level of trust in the processing rule, wherein said assigning the second trust weight comprises:

selecting, by one or more processors, a trust value from a set of rule trust values representing a plurality of different levels of trust associated with processing rules, the selected trust value being representative of a determined level of trust in the processing rule;

defining, by one or more processors, the selected trust value as the second trust weight; and

associating, by one or more processors, the second trust weight with the processing rule; and

processing, by one or more processors, the weighted data item in accordance with the weighted processing rule to generate a data output and an indication of a level of trust in the data output.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the weighted data item in accordance with the weighted processing rule comprises:

executing, by one or more processors, the first and second trust weights in accordance with an algorithm to generate the indication of a level of trust in the data output.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of assigning a first trust weight comprises:

selecting, by one or more processors, a trust value from a set of data trust values representing a plurality of different levels of trust associated with data, the selected trust value being representative of a determined level of trust in the data item to be processed;

defining, by one or more processors, the selected trust value as the first trust weight; and

associating, by one or more processors, the first trust weight with the data item to be processed.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of assigning a first trust weight comprises:

determining, by one or more processors, a level of trust in the data item to be processed based on metadata associated with the data item to be processed.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the metadata associated with the data item to be processed comprises information regarding at least one of: a source of the data item; a time associated with the data item; a date associated with the data item; a creator of the data item; and an age of the data item.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of assigning a second trust weight comprises:

determining, by one or more processors, a level of trust in the processing rule based on metadata associated with the processing rule.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the metadata associated with the processing rule comprises information regarding: an author of the processing rule; a time associated with the processing rule; a date associated with the processing rule; the complexity of the processing rule; and an age of the processing rule.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a level of trust is represented using Subjective Logic.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

multiplying, by one or more processors, the first trust weight by the second trust weight to derive a multiplied trust weight; and

setting, by one or more processors, the multiplied trust weight as a trust level for the data output.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

averaging, by one or more processors, the first trust weight and the second trust weight to derive an average trust weight; and

setting, by one or more processors, the average trust weight as a trust level for the data output.

11. An apparatus for indicating a trustworthiness of data processed in accordance with a processing rule, the apparatus comprising:

a data weighting hardware unit adapted to assign a first trust weight to a data item to be processed to provide a weighted data item, the first trust weight representing a level of trust in the data item;

a processing rule weighting hardware unit adapted to assign a second trust weight to the processing rule to provide a weighted processing rule, the second trust weight representing a level of trust in the processing rule, wherein assigning the second trust weight comprises:

selecting, by one or more processors, a trust value from a set of rule trust values representing a plurality of different levels of trust associated with processing rules, the selected trust value being representative of a determined level of trust in the processing rule;

defining, by one or more processors, the selected trust value as the second trust weight; and

associating, by one or more processors, the second trust weight with the processing rule; and

a processing hardware unit adapted to process the weighted data item in accordance with the weighted processing rule to generate a data output and an indication of a level of trust in the data output.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processing hardware unit is adapted to execute the first and second trust weights in accordance with an algorithm to generate the indication of a level of trust in the data output.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the data weighting hardware unit is adapted to:

select a trust value from a set of data trust values representing a plurality of different levels of trust associated with data, the selected trust value being representative of a determined level of trust in the data item to be processed;

define the selected trust value as the first trust weight; and

associate the first trust weight with the data item to be processed.

14. A computer program product for indicating a trustworthiness of data processed in accordance with a processing rule, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein the program code is readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

assigning a first trust weight to a data item to be processed to provide a weighted data item, the first trust weight representing a level of trust in the data item;

assigning a second trust weight to the processing rule to provide a weighted processing rule, the second trust weight representing a level of trust in the processing rule, wherein said assigning the second trust weight comprises:

selecting a trust value from a set of rule trust values representing a plurality of different levels of trust associated with processing rules, the selected trust value being representative of a determined level of trust in the processing rule;

defining the selected trust value as the second trust weight; and

associating the second trust weight with the processing rule; and

processing the weighted data item in accordance with the weighted processing rule to generate a data output and an indication of a level of trust in the data output.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the step of processing the weighted data item in accordance with the weighted processing rule comprises:

executing the first and second trust weights in accordance with an algorithm to generate the indication of a level of trust in the data output.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the step of assigning a first trust weight comprises:

selecting a trust value from a set of data trust values representing a plurality of different levels of trust associated with data, the selected trust value being representative of a determined level of trust in the data item to be processed;

defining the selected trust value as the first trust weight; and

associating the first trust weight with the data item to be processed.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the step of assigning a first trust weight comprises:

determining a level of trust in the data item to be processed based on metadata associated with the data item to be processed.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the metadata associated with the data item to be processed comprises information regarding at least one of: a source of the data item; a time associated with the data item; a date associated with the data item; a creator of the data item; and an age of the data item.