From Compliance to Security: Boost cyber resilience with the SBOM

Cyber assaults may happen at any point in a normal supply chain, and these attacks are becoming more visible, disruptive, and expensive in today’s world. Don't wait for a breach to happen...

In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity is a familiar concern across industries. It traditionally centred around Information Technology (IT), but as Operational Technology (OT) becomes increasingly interconnected with IT through advancements in cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT), new security challenges are emerging. This fusion of OT and IT not only drives innovation but also introduces complex cybersecurity risks.

Are you aware of new security demands?

The rapidly evolving digital ecosystem requires companies to stay ahead not only in innovation, but also in cybersecurity. Legislation is also catching up with new obligations for businesses in Europe. The new European Directive on the Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS 2) and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) set strict guidelines for maintaining security across network systems and throughout the lifecycle of digital products and services. These regulations emphasise the need for a robust approach to securing digital infrastructure and products.

  • NIS 2 introduces requirements for cybersecurity risk management and reporting methodologies across a wide range of industries - e.g. energy, public administration, transport, finance, etc.
  • CRA applies to all manufacturers and vendors of products with a digital component. It requires mandatory cybersecurity of hardware and software products throughout their lifecycle.

Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)

Every day new vulnerabilities are being discovered, causing development teams to face changing security levels of their developments or their applications. Regular analysis is therefore required. Manual analysis is too labour intensive, so an automated and standardized approach is required. The software bill of materials (SBOM) is a systematic analysis of software code. This analysis can be automated, and the result represented in a standardized machine-readable format. The SBOM is a key component in cybersecurity and facilitating compliance with the new legislation.

Similar to a Bill of Materials in traditional manufacturing practices, an SBOM serves as a detailed inventory that lists every component within a software codebase. This includes all closed and opensource components, their licenses, version details, and any known vulnerabilities. By maintaining an SBOM and adding dependency tracking, companies can swiftly identify and mitigate security risks, ensuring compliance and enhancing cybersecurity posture. This is not just about compliance; it's really about protecting your and your clients’ businesses from potential cyber threats and vulnerabilities that can compromise your and their operations and customer trust. An SBOM allows you to monitor your software components continuously, giving you the upper hand in managing your cybersecurity effectively.

Integration in software development and deployment

Beyond the analysis of cybersecurity risks using automated SBOM generation and dependency tracking, Flanders Make went a step further. We designed an approach to integrate these analyses into the software development pipelines of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) practices, especially with respect to software embedded in physical devices.

By incorporating automated security checks directly into the software development process, we ensure that every piece of new code is automatically analyzed for potential security risks whenever it's added. Automating this process, the ease of use and reliability increases.

What we can do for you today

We can help you with specific matters such as:

  • How to make and analyse an SBOM. Hands-on demonstration and knowledge transfer.
  • How to set up a CI/CD pipeline for embedded software in cyber-physical systems that integrates the security analysis of your code.

Companies can benefit of subsidies of the Flemish government to pay part of this work. 

We can also help with more general questions such as:

  • How can your company become compliant with upcoming regulations involving cybersecurity?
  • How can your company manage a safe network and cloud environment?
  • How can your company maintain an SBOM analysis?

We are committed to helping companies navigate these complex cybersecurity questions. With expertise in both cloud and on-premises cybersecurity, we provide bespoke consultancy services that address your specific needs and challenges. Whether you want to secure your on-premises- cloud connection or need guidance on creating and managing an SBOM, our team is here to help.

Flanders Make, in collaboration with VLAIO (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship), offers various forms of support to companies in Flanders to enhance their competitiveness. This is why we provide accessible consulting and guidance to help you get started on your cybersecurity journey. Reach out today to find out more.

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