Introduction
You’ve heard of supply chains in manufacturing — but software has its own. In the world of modern development, a software supply chain includes everything that goes into building, testing, and delivering software. And like any supply chain, it can be attacked.
Let’s break it down.
1. What is the Software Supply Chain?
A software supply chain is the collection of code, tools, libraries, infrastructure, and processes used to build and deliver software.
It includes:
- Your source code
- Open-source dependencies
- Build systems (CI/CD)
- Container images
- Cloud infrastructure as code
- Deployment scripts and tools
Each component is a potential attack surface.
2. Why is it a target?
Attackers are shifting their focus upstream — compromising tools or libraries before software is deployed.
Examples:
- Injecting malicious code into open-source packages
- Hijacking CI/CD pipelines
- Tampering with container registries
NotPetya, SolarWinds, and Log4Shell are all examples of supply chain attacks.
3. What makes it vulnerable?
- Lack of visibility into 3rd-party dependencies
- Overly permissive CI/CD access
- Insecure secrets management
- No signature or verification of builds and artifacts
4. How to secure your software supply chain
- Inventory your dependencies (SBOM – Software Bill of Materials)
- Scan packages and images for vulnerabilities (e.g. Trivy, Snyk)
- Secure CI/CD pipelines with least privilege
- Sign and verify builds (e.g. Sigstore, Cosign)
- Use IaC scanning to detect misconfigurations
5. Key Tools for Supply Chain Security
- Snyk, Trivy, Grype – dependency and image scanning
- Sigstore, Cosign – build signing
- Checkov, tfsec – IaC scanning
- GitHub Dependabot, Renovate – dependency updates
Conclusion
Your software is only as secure as the tools and components it’s built with. Protecting the software supply chain is no longer optional — it’s essential for secure development.
That’s the Software Supply Chain.