An SBOM enhances transparency and security by enabling organizations to manage and track the components within their software, allowing them to identify vulnerabilities, ensure compliance with licensing requirements, and facilitate easier updates and maintenance.
Key features of an SBOM include:
SBOMs are increasingly considered essential in software supply chain security as they provide critical information needed to assess and manage risks associated with software dependencies. They can be generated using various tools and can be formatted in standard ways, such as SPDX, CycloneDX, or other common SBOM formats.
A software supply chain is composed of the components, libraries, tools, and processes used to develop, build, and publish a software artifact.
Software vendors often create products by assembling open source and proprietary software components. A software bill of materials (SBOM) declares the inventory of components used to build a software artifact such as a software application. It is analogous to a list of ingredients on food packaging: where you might consult a label to avoid foods that may cause allergies, SBOMs can help organizations or persons avoid consumption of software that could harm them.
The concept of a BOM is well-established in traditional manufacturing as part of supply chain management. A manufacturer uses a BOM to track the parts it uses to create a product. If defects are later found in a specific part, the BOM makes it easy to locate affected products.