Building Resilience with Software Supply Chain Security

Cyberattacks targeting the software supply chain are steadily becoming more sophisticated and frequent. The first step in mitigating significant risks to organizations of all sizes and sectors is securing the entirety of the software supply chain. Hackers are hunting for the easiest point of entry, which could be found in a place security might have overlooked in large scale development life cycles.

In order to build increasingly complex software via continuous delivery and fast-paced development lifecycles, developers are relying on the use of open-source software they don’t have to build from scratch. The proliferation of these components and libraries has added an untold number of vulnerabilities to their software supply chains, and significant challenges to organizations trying to safeguard their software assets against the potential threats.

According to ITRC's (Identity Theft Resource Center) most recent Data Breach Report, last year showed record high breach reports with 2023 compromises representing a 78% increase over the previous year and a 72% hike from the previous all-time high number of compromises (1,860) set in 2021. Securing the software supply chain is a multifaceted challenge that requires proactive measures, collaboration, and continuous adaptation to the growing number of emerging threats.

Software supply chain security is not just an IT issue; it's a strategic imperative that requires the attention and involvement of C-suite executives, and a greater investment in resources and expertise to address emerging threats effectively. By prioritizing cybersecurity initiatives and implementing robust protection strategies, organizations can better manage their business risk by improving their application security posture and their overall resilience against evolving cyberattacks.

The US Department of Defense provides recommended practices for managing open-source software and software bill of materials (SBOM) to enhance the security of the software supply chain. Here's how HCLSoftware’s newly introduced HCL AppScan Supply Chain Security management platform aligns with key takeaways.

• Visibility and Transparency: We’re giving organizations extended visibility into their software supply chains and promoting transparency regarding the software components used.
• Inventory and Vendor Management: Our Pipeline Bill of Materials (PBOM) provides an accurate inventory of software components to facilitate transparency and quickly identify detailed information about software components to track changes effectively.
• Risk Assessment: AppScan’s prioritized risk assessments of software components to help organizations understand potential security vulnerabilities and prioritize mitigation efforts.
• Continuous Monitoring: Seamless integration enables continuous monitoring of software supply chains to enable your organization to detect and respond to security threats in real-time, minimizing the impact of potential breaches.

Emphasizing supply chain security becomes increasingly crucial as your company expands and integrates additional third-party applications. To effectively manage these risks, organizations must adopt a proactive approach to software supply chain security. HCL AppScan is implementing robust processes for inventorying, tracking, and validating software components that can help organizations identify and mitigate vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle.

Managing risks in the Digital+ economy requires prioritizing supply chain security management. For more information on how you can benefit from active application security posture management, contact HCL AppScan here. You can learn more about how we’re centralizing your supply chain security on our website.