APPSEC BEST PRACTICES

Cybersecurity Frameworks and Standards for Securing Software Supply Chains

A comprehensive resource library for implementing NIST SSDF, Google SLSA, Gartner, MITRE, and OWASP to achieve end-to-end software integrity.

Google SLSA and NIST SSDF: Emerging Software Supply Chain Security Best Practices

Google SLSA and NIST SSDF: Emerging Software Supply Chain Security Best Practices

While a de facto standard for securing software supply chains does not exist, best practices to improve application security posture are starting to emerge. We have many frameworks to choose from, including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SSDF, Google/OpenSSF SLSA, Gartner, MITRE, and OWASP. While none of these cybersecurity frameworks and standards are individually comprehensive, they enable us to compile a complete set of best practices.

Watch Now

Software Supply Chain Cybersecurity Frameworks

Google SLSA

Official Site

Google Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts (SLSA), announced in mid-2021, is a framework for ensuring the integrity of software artifacts throughout the software supply chain.

Full Scope

  • Key Takeaways from Google/OpenSSF SLSA Cybersecurity Framework

  • Easy Enforcement of SLSA Source Requirements

NIST SSDF

Official Site

With its creation spurred by Executive Order 16025, the NIST Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) is a cybersecurity framework designed to help ensure the integrity of critical software infrastructure. While compulsory for federal agencies, NIST application security may be applied to any government, private, public, or non-profit organization.

Full Scope

  • Overview of NIST Cybersecurity Framework

  • NIST SSDF v 1.1 Overview and Application Guide

  • NIST SSDF Explained

gartner
icon ANALYST RESEARCH
How To Select DevSecOps Tools For Secure Software Delivery
Learn More gartner banner

Application Security Frameworks

OWASP SAMM

Official Site

OWASP SAMM is short for the Software Assurance Maturity Model. It was created to help organizations formulate and implement a strategy for software security.

Full Scope

  • Why You Need to Know SAMM

  • OWASP SAMM Model

PCI DSS

Official Site

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a security framework first introduced in 2004 and is required by the contract for those handling cardholder data. This standard was created to increase controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraud.

Full Scope

  • PCI DSS Compliance Audit Requirements

  • Enforcing the Principle of Least Privilege to Adhere to PCI Guidance

ISO 27001

Official Site

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001 provides requirements for an information security management system. This report covers a company’s controls and its operating effectiveness.

Full Scope

  • ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management

SOC 2 Type II

Official Site

System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) Type II is an audit on how a cloud-based service provider handles sensitive information. This report covers a company’s controls and its operating effectiveness.

Full Scope

  • SOC 2 Type II Compliance Guide

  • Attack Knowledge Base

FedRAMP

Official Site

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) provides a standardized approach to security authorizations for Cloud Service Offerings. This report covers a company’s controls and its operating effectiveness.

Full Scope

  • FedRAMP Guidelines for Service Providers

  • Official Documentation for Cloud Service Providers (CSPs)

MITRE SoT

Official Site

MITRE’s System of Trust (SoT) is a recently announced framework designed to help evaluate suppliers, supplies, and service providers; this is done to help mitigate software supply chain attacks. MITRE ATT&CK is a globally-accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations, and has helped formulate the SoT.

Full Scope

  • MITRE System of Trust (SoT) Announcement

  • Attack Knowledge Base

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do Application Security Standards Apply to Modern Software Supply Chains?

Modern supply chains are increasingly complex, making standardized application security a non-negotiable requirement. These standards provide a baseline to identify and mitigate security risks that arise from third-party integrations and automated build processes. By following established frameworks, organizations can prevent a data breachat might otherwise originate from an unverified dependency or a compromised pipeline.

Which Cybersecurity Frameworks and Standards Matter Most for DevSecOps Teams?

DevSecOps teams often prioritize frameworks that focus on automation and process integrity. Cybersecurity frameworks and standards such as Google SLSA and OWASP SAMM are essential for teams looking to bake security into the rapid release cycle.

To achieve a higher level of maturity, teams should also look toward app security tools that support NIST application security guidelines. These tools ensure that security is not a bottleneck but a continuous part of the development workflow

How Do Security Frameworks Translate into Enforceable Security Controls?

Frameworks provide the high-level theory, but AppSec teams must translate them into technical reality. This process begins with a risk assessment to identify the most critical assets and potential attack paths. Once the risks are understood, a structured approach is used to create automated policy gates that block non-compliant code from moving forward in the lifecycle.

How Can Organizations Operationalize AppSec Standards at Scale?

Scaling security requires moving away from manual audits. Implementing application security automation allows policies to be applied across thousands of repositories simultaneously. This centralized governance reduces the risk of human error and ensures that every team adheres to the same organizational standards without manual intervention.

What Role Do CI/CD Pipelines Play in Meeting Software Security Standards?

The pipeline is the primary enforcement point for modern standards. By integrating CI/CD pipeline security directly into the build process, organizations can verify the provenance of artifacts and ensure that only signed, scanned code is deployed. This creates a tamper-proof record of compliance for every release.

How Do Open-Source Dependencies Impact Application Security Compliance?

Open-source components make up the bulk of modern codebases, yet they often introduce hidden vulnerabilities. Achieving compliance requires deep open source security visibility to track transitive dependencies and manage license risks. Without this oversight, an organization cannot truly claim to meet software integrity standards.

Are App Security Standards Legally Mandated?

While many cybersecurity frameworks and standards began as optional best practices, they are increasingly tied to legal and regulatory requirements. For example, Executive Order 14028 has made adherence to certain NIST standards a requirement for any organization doing business with the federal government, effectively creating a legal mandate for software supply chain transparency.

What Are the Most Common Gaps When Implementing Security Standards for Applications?

One of the most frequent gaps is the lack of granular access controls within the development environment. Organizations often focus on security testing for the code itself but overlook the security of the tools and identities that manage that code. This creates a "blind spot" where an attacker can compromise the pipeline even if the source code is secure.

How Should Organizations Measure the Effectiveness of Application Security?

Measuring success requires looking beyond high-level metrics like total vulnerability counts. Instead, organizations should track the Mean Time to Remediation (MTTR) for critical risks and the percentage of builds that pass automated security gates. These metrics provide a more accurate picture of how well security standards are actually being operationalized.

Can One Platform Support Multiple Application Security Frameworks at Once?

Yes, an AI-native platform designed for application security posture management can ingest data from various sources and map it to multiple frameworks simultaneously. This allows an organization to demonstrate compliance with SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST SSDF from a single, unified dashboard.

Start Securing the 10x Developer Today
Discover the power of Cycode for your team.

Get a Demo