The article considers the methodology of ensuring the dependability of information and control systems using multi-purpose maintenance strategies. The relevance of research is due to the need to ensure the functioning of dependable information and control systems in the face of changes in requirements, environmental parameters, and the manifestation of unspecified failures of their components. The methodology is presented at the system level as a combination of the concept of multi-purpose maintenance, as well as the principles of taking into account changes in the information and control system and environment during the life cycle; comprehensive consideration of different types of failures, and the effects of change; multi-purpose maintenance and combines a set of new models and methods for determining the parameters of dependability information and control systems and the choice of parameters for their maintenance procedures. The proposed concept of multi-purpose maintenance is obtained by developing the Fon-Neumann paradigm and is formulated as a concept of building reliable and secure systems from insufficiently dependable components and multi-purpose maintenance on combined strategies in changing conditions and environment. The scope of the proposed concept is applicable in cases where the principles of von-Neumann do not allow building a viable system due to economic, temporal, or other reasons. In this case, the use of principles, methods, and models that are conceptual, extends to information and control systems built using maintained components and system multi-purpose service strategies. The proposed principle of taking into account changes involves the expansion of the classical control circuit of the fault-tolerant system, which response to the fault occurrence as errors and failures. The principle of comprehensive consideration of different types of failures and the effects of change is a continuation of the principles of unity and connection during the procedures of system analysis. It is also a logical continuation of the facet arrangement of fault types and chains of causal relationships from faults and defects to faults, failures, and errors. Within the framework of the proposed methodology, multi-purpose maintenance strategies, a set of options for goals, types, processes, properties, and parameters of information and control systems have been developed, which reduces model uncertainty and justifies practical measures to ensure dependability at different stages of the life cycle.