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What is software supply chain security?

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Overview

Software supply chain security is the practice of protecting the components, tools, processes, and services that make up the software development and delivery lifecycle. It ensures that every element—from open-source libraries to build systems and deployment pipelines, is trustworthy, tamper-free, and compliant.

Software supply chain security

Why is software supply chain security important?

Modern applications are rarely built entirely from scratch. Instead, they rely heavily on open-source libraries, third-party code, APIs, and infrastructure-as-code templates. While this accelerates innovation, it also introduces new risks.

Recent high-profile attacks, such as SolarWinds and Log4j, highlight how adversaries exploit supply chain weaknesses to infiltrate thousands of organizations at once. Without proper safeguards, businesses face:

  • Exposure to malicious or vulnerable third-party components.
  • Risks from compromised build pipelines or CI/CD tools.
  • Compliance failures related to software bills of materials (SBOMs).
  • Increased attack surface across cloud-native and containerized environments.

Software supply chain security helps organizations gain visibility, validate integrity, and enforce controls across their entire software ecosystem.

How does it work?

Securing the software supply chain requires layered protections across people, processes, and technology.

Key Practices Include:

  • Component visibility: Generating and maintaining an SBOM to track dependencies.
  • Vulnerability management: Scanning open-source and third-party components for known flaws.
  • Dependency governance: Blocking risky or unapproved packages from entering the codebase.
  • Build integrity: Protecting CI/CD pipelines from tampering or credential theft.
  • Policy enforcement: Automating security checks to meet compliance and regulatory standards.
  • Continuous monitoring: Detecting and responding to new threats as they emerge.

Benefits of software supply chain security

  • Transparency: Know exactly what’s in your applications with SBOMs.
  • Reduced risk: Prevent exploitation of vulnerable or malicious dependencies.
  • Compliance support: Meet government and industry requirements, including Executive Order 14028.
  • Operational resilience: Ensure build systems and pipelines are secure and trustworthy.
  • Business continuity: Limit the blast radius of a potential compromise.
  • Supply chain attack prevention: Reduce exposure to threats by detecting malicious components early and securing build pipelines against compromise.
  • Secure software supply chain: Ensure trust and resilience across every stage of development by validating dependencies, SBOMs, and delivery processes.

Software supply chain security with OpenText Application Security

OpenText provides enterprise-grade supply chain security as part of its Application Security platform, including:

  • Software composition analysis (SCA): Identify and remediate risks in open-source and third-party code.
  • SBOM management: Generate, track, and validate bills of materials for compliance and transparency.
  • Repository protection: Block unsafe components with solutions like Repository Firewall and Advanced Legal Pack (OEM).
  • CI/CD integration: Secure build pipelines with automated policy checks and orchestration.
  • AI augmentation: Use OpenText™ Application Security Aviator™ to reduce noise and accelerate remediation across findings.

Key takeaway

Software supply chain security ensures the integrity of every component and process in your development lifecycle, protecting applications—and your business—from widespread, high-impact attacks.

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