Software Supply Chain Security: Best Practices & Tools for 2024

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Sr. Director of Product Marketing

Modern software development relies on a complex network of components, tools, and people, known as the software supply chain. If not properly protected, this intricate web can introduce exploitable security vulnerabilities that lead to breaches and the distribution of compromised software. But there are ways to secure your software supply chain…

In this article, we’ll explore the concept of software supply chain security, its importance, and best practices for keeping your software development process safe.

What Is A Software Supply Chain?

A software supply chain is all the code, components, libraries, dependencies, tools, processes, and people involved in developing, building, and publishing a software artifact.

Importantly, software is no longer based on code written entirely in house. It consists of an intricate network of people, components, and tools. This includes developers and DevOps; third-party vendors, components, and tools; open source projects; and third-party service providers.

For something like a car, a supply chain includes things such as:

  • Major in-house produced components like engines and transmissions
  • Third-party components like door handles, brake lights, and wiper blades
  • The manufacturing facilities, machinery, and tooling used to assemble the car
  • The workers working in the production facility

What Is An Example of a Software Supply Chain Attack?

Perhaps the most well-known software supply chain attack is the SolarWinds attack. The breach was discovered in December 2020, and stands out due to its unprecedented scale, sophistication, and the high-profile nature of its victims. Here’s what happened.

Attackers infiltrated SolarWinds’ build system and injected a backdoor, named Sunburst, into the Orion software updates released between March and June 2020. When customers, including government agencies and numerous Fortune 500 companies, installed these updates, they unknowingly installed the backdoor, granting attackers potential access to their networks.

The sophisticated nature of the attack lay in its ability to remain undetected for months, as the malicious code was carefully designed to blend in with legitimate network traffic and to evade traditional security defenses. Once the backdoor was installed, the attackers could execute commands, transfer files, and move laterally within affected networks, conducting reconnaissance and potentially exfiltrating sensitive data. 

The SolarWinds attack emphasized the critical need for improved security measures and vigilance in the software development lifecycle, and brought to light the importance of implementing rigorous code audits, enhancing build environment security, and adopting advanced monitoring techniques to detect anomalous behaviors. It also spurred a reevaluation of third-party risk management practices, pushing organizations to scrutinize their software dependencies more closely and to adopt zero-trust principles to mitigate the potential impact of similar supply chain attacks in the future.

Explore more key AppSec takeaways from the attack.

What Is Software Supply Chain Security?

Software supply chain security involves safeguarding the entire software development and deployment process against potential threats and vulnerabilities. 

Too often, organizations think only about securing the open source or third-party dependencies in their code. This approach is too narrow in scope. To truly secure the software supply chain, security teams must impl