New joint guidance advances SBOM adoption

SecurityWeek reports that the U.S. and 14 allied nations have unveiled joint guidelines aimed at expanding software bills of materials implementation.

By providing increased visibility and transparency into software and component security, SBOMs could bolster vulnerability and supply chain management, as well as software development processes, resulting in reduced costs and downtime, according to the guidance.

Adopting SBOMs, which should be in a popular format and shared with other organizations down the line, could also promote the implementation of secure-by-design principles and increased automation, while post-deployment tracking of SBOMs allows the immediate discovery and remediation of vulnerable components, the agencies noted.

"Better software transparency will directly improve the quality of decisions made in the creation and use of software. The authoring organizations understand the value of SBOM in securing the software supply chain and recognize the need for greater transparency in software development," said the agencies.