Editing Fail-safe (section)

===Fail safe and fail secure===
''Fail-safe'' and ''fail-secure'' are distinct concepts. ''Fail-safe'' means that a device will not endanger lives or property when it fails. ''Fail-secure,'' also called ''fail-closed,'' means that access or data will not fall into the wrong hands in a security failure. Sometimes the approaches suggest opposite solutions. For example, if a building catches fire, fail-safe systems would unlock doors to ensure quick escape and allow firefighters inside, while fail-secure would lock doors to prevent unauthorized access to the building.

The opposite of ''fail-closed'' is called ''fail-open''.