What is it about?

The article in question explores Software Bills of Materials (SBOM), which are inventories of the software components used to create a product. SBOMs offer significant benefits in terms of security and transparency, as they allow for the monitoring and management of risks associated with software components throughout the development lifecycle. Despite these undeniable advantages, the adoption of SBOMs in the real world remains limited and has not proliferated as it should. The article is structured into two main parts. The first part analyzes ten challenges that are hindering the widespread adoption of SBOMs. These challenges include technical issues, such as the lack of standardization and difficulty in tracking indirect dependencies, as well as organizational and governance obstacles, like the lack of awareness and support from business decision-makers. Technological limitations are also discussed, such as the insufficient automation of current tools and the need for more sophisticated solutions to identify and monitor vulnerabilities. In the second part of the article, a comparative analysis is conducted on the six best open-source tools for SBOM generation. These tools are evaluated in terms of functionality, ease of use, and integration capabilities with other systems. While each tool has specific strengths, none of them are yet mature enough to offer a complete and automated solution. Some tools excel in tracking direct dependencies but struggle with indirect ones, whereas others provide good integration with existing systems but lack precision in identifying component versions. In conclusion, the article highlights that despite the significant potential of SBOMs to enhance the security and transparency of software supply chains, numerous obstacles remain. Continued research and development efforts are needed to address these challenges and improve existing tools to achieve greater adoption of SBOMs in the real world.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Understanding why SBOMs (Software Bills of Materials) are not being widely adopted is crucial because it addresses practical, real-world scenarios where security and transparency are paramount. This article delves into this question by analyzing the real-life challenges that organizations face in implementing SBOMs. Notably, it also offers a groundbreaking comparative analysis of open-source tools for SBOM generation, a comparison that has not been conducted before. This analysis reveals that current tools lack the maturity needed for widespread, efficient use. By highlighting these deficiencies, the article emphasizes the necessity for a new generation of more comprehensive tools that can seamlessly operate across diverse scenarios. Such advancements are essential to make SBOM generation more accessible and effective, ultimately enhancing the security and management of software supply chains.

Perspectives

This article can serve as a starting point for directing research efforts in two critical areas: addressing the ten identified challenges and guiding the development of next-generation SBOM tools. Each of the ten challenges outlined in the article, ranging from technical issues to organizational and governance obstacles, merits dedicated research to devise effective solutions. By thoroughly investigating these challenges, researchers can contribute to overcoming the barriers that currently hinder the widespread adoption of SBOMs. Moreover, the comparative analysis of open-source SBOM generation tools presented in this article highlights the current shortcomings and underscores the need for more advanced and comprehensive tools. This analysis suggests a clear path forward for developing next-generation tools, which would be more robust, automated, and capable of functioning effectively in varied and complex scenarios. Such tools are crucial for making SBOM generation more accessible and practical for real-world applications, thereby enhancing the security and transparency of software supply chains. By laying the groundwork in these two areas, this article not only identifies key obstacles but also paves the way for future research and development. This dual focus on overcoming challenges and innovating tool development can significantly contribute to the broader adoption and effectiveness of SBOMs in improving software supply chain security.

Gregorio Dalia
Universita degli Studi del Sannio

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: SBOM Ouverture: What We Need and What We Have, July 2024, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3664476.3669975.
You can read the full text:

Read

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page