Do You Really Know What’s in Your Software Stack?

You wouldn’t purchase packaged food without an ingredient list, or accept a shipment without an inventory, but until recently, there has been little governance or standardization for documenting software components. This lack of transparency can leave organizations and government agencies out of license compliance and vulnerable to cyber attack.

For example, you may recall the massive data breach suffered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in 2015 or the 2020 SolarWinds cybersecurity breach, which significantly impacted the U.S. supply chain. These incidents, and others, were a wake-up call to both government and private sector business organizations, highlighting the urgent need for better software security.

Around the world, recognition of the need for standardization is growing, and an essential tool in the solution kit is wider adoption of a standard SBOM.

What is an SBOM?

An SBOM is a Software Bill of Materials. Many people are familiar with a bill of materials as used in traditional manufacturing. Similarly, an SBOM provides an inventory of all the software components that make up an application, system, or software stack.

However, an SBOM’s value extends well beyond simple record-keeping.

In his report for The Linux Foundation, Strengthening License Compliance and Software Security with SBOM Adoption, Ibrahim Haddad provides a definitive SBOM guide for enterprises.

The paper explains the strategic significance of the SBOM in enabling organizations to improve software security and license compliance, provides a walk-through of the road to legislative requirements and other industry initiatives for SBOMs, and details nine actionable strategies your organization can use in your SBOM adoption process.

What value does an SBOM provide?

SBOMs provide crucial insights into software components that allow organizations to ensure license compliance and enhance cyber defenses.

With the information provided by the SBOM, license compliance teams can mitigate legal, reputational, technical, and financial risks by avoiding license violations.

In an era of complex open source initiatives and multi-layered interdependencies, the SBOM enables organizations to identify and preemptively mitigate software vulnerabilities, dependencies and security risks.

These benefits help to safeguard software supply chains no matter the industry or technology domain.

Read the full report to learn more about the protective role of SBOMs in securing software systems so your organization can meet the demands of rigorous operational integrity in today’s complex technological environments.

What’s in an SBOM?

The report briefly describes the five key elements that are typically found in an SBOM:

• Component inventory
• Provenance (origin) information
• Dependency relationships
• Vulnerability intelligence
• Metadata and annotations

Each of these elements plays a crucial role in providing a comprehensive view of software components, enabling organizations to manage risks effectively.

Historical and Legislative Context

In the report, Dr. Haddad traces the milestones along the road of legislative efforts in the United States. In 2021, US Executive Order 14028 was announced. It mandates federal agency use of SBOMs for software procurement to enhance supply chain security amid rising cyber threats.

In the European Union, the European Parliament approved the E.U. Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) in March 2024. One of its key components is the introduction of a recommended SBOM, a level of transparency that helps identify potential vulnerabilities, ensuring products are secure by design, and resilient to cyber threats.

While the U.S. and EU have taken these significant steps toward SBOM usage, other regions including Japan, China, and Canada are also recognizing their importance in strengthening software security and governance.

How has the Linux Foundation contributed?

Since 2009, through its open source project SPDX (Software Package Data Exchange), the Linux Foundation has led the way in promoting the standardization and adoption of SBOMs by bringing together organizations from various industries to collaboratively develop a robust set of tools, resources and best practices for SBOM implementation.

Actionable Strategies

Read the report for more details on actionable strategies your organization can use in your SBOM adoption plans, such as guidelines for establishing clear policies and procedures, defining roles and responsibilities, and using automation to generate SBOMs.

You’ll learn how to achieve greater transparency, enhance security, and ensure robust compliance across your organization’s software supply chains by embracing SBOM use.

For enterprises seeking to navigate the challenges of software supply chain management, the report offers a strategic roadmap to SBOM adoption. By implementing the provided recommendations, organizations can achieve greater transparency, bolster their cybersecurity posture, and ensure robust compliance across their software ecosystems.

This report is a must-read for IT leaders, compliance officers, and security professionals committed to strengthening their organization’s software governance practices. With the growing importance of SBOMs in global cybersecurity and license compliance strategies, this comprehensive guide serves as an essential resource for understanding and implementing this critical tool.