As you begin developing your application to get services in front of your customers, you will notice a lot of processes and contributors are involved—from development to production. All of these processes and people are part of the “software supply chain.” It goes without saying that your software supply chain plays a crucial role in ensuring your business’s success.

In a supply chain attack, hackers aim to breach a target's defenses by exploiting vulnerabilities in third-party companies. These attacks typically follow one of two paths. The first involves targeting a service provider or contractor, often a smaller entity with less robust security. The second path targets software developers, embedding malicious code into their products. This code, masquerading as a legitimate update, may later infiltrate the IT systems of customers.

It’s that time of the year again, 2024 planning. Security and third-party risk management leaders are scrambling to prioritize their initiatives for the coming year, advocate for more resources, and report on their progress over the past year. When only 16% of organizations report that they effectively manage third-party risk, the new year provides a blank slate to introduce new efficiencies to existing processes.

Organizations focus on building resilience in their global supply chain through effective supply chain risk management strategies. The planning process involves identifying potential high-risk factors, analyzing their impact, and developing strategic measures for mitigating risk. In addition, organizations perform due diligence when creating incident response and recovery plans to ensure business continuity and avoid supply chain disruptions.

Whether internally developed or purchased, your applications can be exposed to a host of vulnerabilities, especially via open source components that are widely used in today’s software. A recent survey found that 60% of data breach victims were compromised due to a known but unpatched vulnerability. Effective prevention and risk management requires being able to understand the vulnerability risk profile for each component of your Software Supply Chain.

You’ve probably encountered them. Self-reported ‘supplier security assessments’ – documents where fact and fiction can easily overlap if the requisite information cannot be readily validated. In reality, supplier questionnaires do offer an (albeit limited) indication of an organisation’s level of cyber maturity and are a necessary process.

What do the Log4J zero-day vulnerability, the SolarWinds attack, and Alex Birsan’s hacking of Apple and Microsoft have in common? The answer is simple: software supply chain security. But while the answer may be simple, each example highlights a different aspect of software supply chain security.

Securing your software supply chain is crucial for ensuring the integrity and security of the software you develop and deliver. Here are the top 8 security best practices for a secure software supply chain.

Security Magazine reported more than 2,200 daily cyberattacks, which translates to roughly one cyberattack occurring every 39 seconds! As these stakes in cybersecurity continue to reach higher and higher levels, it becomes even more crucial to emphasize securing the very bedrock of elements upon which our digital existence is built.