The software supply chain involves developing, maintaining and distributing software to end users. To enhance the functionality of the software being developed, developers frequently depend upon open-source components and libraries. These can be sourced from external vendors like Docker images or open-source projects and in-house providers.
But while third-party vendors are often critical to software functionality, they can also increase risk. A compromised software supply chain could lead to the distribution of malicious software, unauthorized access to sensitive data and potential disruptions to critical systems. As such, securing the software supply chain is crucial to ensure the integrity, confidentiality and availability of applications.
By implementing robust supply chain security practices, organizations can mitigate these risks and ensure the integrity and security of the software they deliver.
Software Bill of Materials Security
A secure software supply chain helps protect against malicious attacks, prevent financial losses, secure user data, ensure business continuity, comply with regulations, mitigate third-party risks and build trust with customers. A software bill of materials (SBOM) is a crucial part of this secure software supply chain.
An SBOM is a list of all the components and libraries that create an application or software. This security aims at identifying vulnerabilities in open-source components that developers often overlook.
SBOM security takes a more comprehensive approach to the software development process, from generating SBOM files for third-party components in the application stack and source code repositories to the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline and container registries and runtime.
With enhanced transparency and vulnerability management, SBOM security aims to counteract potentially devastating cyberattacks. These attacks can result in the distribution of compromised software, unauthorized access, data breaches and system compromise.
