What Is an SBOM and Why Is It Critical for Software Compliance

By Contributing Writer
Gilad David Maayan January 17, 2023

What Is an SBOM?

An SBOM, or software bill of materials, is a list of all the components and dependencies that make up a piece of software. This can include things like libraries, frameworks, and other external resources that the software relies on. An SBOM provides a detailed view of the software and its dependencies, allowing organizations to track the provenance of their software and ensure that it is secure and up-to-date.

One of the key benefits of an SBOM is that it can help organizations to manage and reduce risk by identifying and addressing any vulnerabilities in the software and its dependencies. This is particularly important in today's increasingly complex and interconnected software ecosystem, where a single vulnerability in a single component can have far-reaching consequences.

In addition to helping organizations manage risk, an SBOM can also help with compliance and regulation. For example, many regulations and standards, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), require organizations to have a detailed inventory of their software and dependencies. An SBOM can help organizations to meet these requirements by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the components that make up their software.

Why Is an SBOM Important?

An SBOM, or software bill of materials, is a list of all the components and dependencies that make up a piece of software. This detailed view of a software system can be important for a number of reasons, including improving security, addressing licensing issues, improving compliance, and protecting against supply chain attacks.

Improved security

One of the key benefits of an SBOM is that it can help organizations to improve the security of their software. By providing a comprehensive and up-to-date list of all the components and dependencies that make up a piece of software, an SBOM can help organizations to identify and address any vulnerabilities or malicious software in the software product and its dependencies. This is particularly important in today's increasingly complex and interconnected software ecosystem, where a single vulnerability in a single component can have far-reaching consequences.

Protecting against supply chain attacks

Finally, an SBOM can help organizations to protect against supply chain attacks. In a supply chain attack, an attacker targets a vulnerable component or dependency in the software supply chain in order to gain access to an organization's systems. By providing a detailed view of the software and its dependencies, an SBOM can help organizations to identify and address any vulnerabilities in their software supply chain and protect against these types of attacks.

Addressing licensing risks

Another benefit of an SBOM is that it can help organizations to address licensing issues. Many open source and other third-party components used in software systems are subject to specific licensing requirements, and it is important for organizations to understand and comply with these requirements. An SBOM can help organizations to track the licenses of the components used in their software and ensure that they are in compliance.

Improving compliance

An SBOM can also help organizations to improve compliance with various regulations and standards. For example, many regulations and standards, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), require organizations to have a detailed inventory of their software and dependencies. An SBOM can help organizations to meet these requirements by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the components that make up their software. In the rest of this article, I’ll go into this aspect of SBOMs in more depth.

What is Software Compliance?

Software compliance refers to the practice of ensuring that an organization's software systems comply with relevant laws, regulations, and standards. This can include things like ensuring that the software is licensed properly and that it meets any security or privacy requirements that may be imposed by regulators or other authorities.

Software compliance is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it helps organizations to avoid legal and financial penalties for non-compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Additionally, it can help organizations to protect the security and privacy of their systems and data, and to avoid the reputational damage that can result from non-compliance.

Ensuring software compliance often involves conducting regular audits and assessments of the organization's software systems, as well as implementing processes and procedures to ensure that the software is properly licensed and that it meets any applicable security and privacy requirements. This can include things like implementing secure development practices, regularly patching and updating software, and conducting regular security assessments.

SBOM and Software Compliance

One way that an SBOM can promote software compliance is by helping organizations to track and manage the licenses of the components used in their software. Many open source and other third-party components used in software systems are subject to specific licensing requirements, and it is important for organizations to understand and comply with these requirements. An SBOM can help organizations to track the licenses of the components used in their software and ensure that they are in compliance.

Another way that an SBOM can promote software compliance is by helping organizations to identify and address any vulnerabilities in their software. Many regulations and standards require organizations to have a detailed inventory of their software and dependencies, and to ensure that the software is secure and free of vulnerabilities.

An SBOM can help organizations to meet these requirements by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the components that make up their software, allowing them to identify and address any vulnerabilities in a timely manner. Let’s see how SBOMs can help meet the requirements of specific compliance standards:

GDPR

The GDPR is a European Union regulation that establishes rules for the collection, use, and storage of personal data. One of the key requirements of the GDPR is that organizations must have a detailed inventory of their systems and data, and must be able to demonstrate that they are in compliance with the GDPR. An SBOM can help organizations to meet this requirement by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the components that make up their software, allowing them to track and manage the personal data that is processed by their systems.

HIPAA

HIPAA is a U.S. law that establishes standards for the protection of personal health information. One of the key requirements of HIPAA is that organizations must have appropriate safeguards in place to protect the security and confidentiality of personal health information. An SBOM can help organizations to meet this requirement by providing a detailed view of the software and its dependencies, allowing them to identify and address any vulnerabilities in their systems that could potentially compromise the security and confidentiality of personal health information.

PCI DSS

The PCI DSS is a set of security standards that are designed to protect the security of payment card transactions. One of the key requirements of the PCI DSS is that organizations must have a detailed inventory of their systems and networks, and must ensure that they are secure and free of vulnerabilities. An SBOM can help organizations to meet this requirement by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the components that make up their software, allowing them to identify and address any vulnerabilities in their systems.

How to Make a Software Bill of Materials

An SBOM, or software bill of materials, is a list of all the components and dependencies that make up a piece of software. There are several different ways to create an SBOM, including using software composition analysis (SCA) tools, using SBOM data exchange standards, or using a combination of both.

One way to create an SBOM is to use SCA tools. These tools are designed to scan a piece of software and automatically identify all of the components and dependencies that make up the software. The SCA tool will then create a detailed report of the software, including information about each component and dependency, such as its version number, license, and any known vulnerabilities. This report can then be used as an SBOM for the software.

Whether you use SCA tools or not, SBOM data exchange formats will play an important role. These are standardized ways of representing software bill of materials (SBOM) data, and they are used to facilitate the exchange of SBOM data between different organizations and stakeholders. Two widely used SBOM data exchange formats are:

The SPDX specification is an open standard that is developed and maintained by the Linux Foundation. It is a widely adopted format for representing SBOM data, and it allows organizations to exchange SBOM data in a consistent and interoperable manner. The SPDX specification includes a number of different components, including a standard format for representing SBOM data, a common set of metadata fields, and a set of rules and guidelines for using the specification.
CycloneDX is another open standard for representing SBOM data, created by the OWASP community. It is based on the SPDX specification, but it has been simplified and streamlined in order to make it easier to use and implement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an SBOM, or software bill of materials, is a list of all the components and dependencies that make up a piece of software. By providing a detailed view of the software and its dependencies, an SBOM can help organizations to improve the security, reliability, and compliance of their software.

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