How to Conduct a Software Supply Chain Risk Assessment in 5 Steps
Software supply chain security has become a critical concern for organizations that want to ensure the integrity, reliability, and compliance of their digital products. High-profile supply chain attacks like SolarWinds have magnified the importance of rigorous risk assessment practices. In today’s DevOps-driven and cloud-centric environments, third-party dependencies, open-source components, and complex CI/CD workflows can introduce vulnerabilities at every stage of development. This post provides a step-by-step guide for conducting a software supply chain risk assessment, leveraging industry best practices and frameworks such as NIST’s SSDF, SLSA, and CIS Controls.
Build vs. Buy: Should You Develop In-House Supply Chain Security Solutions?
As software development’s velocity accelerates, enterprises and technology leaders face an urgent question: how best to safeguard their software supply chains? With high-profile supply chain attacks making headlines and new regulatory requirements (such as executive orders, mandates for SBOMs, and SLSA-level attestations) pushing organizations towards compliance, CTOs and engineering managers must decide: should they build their own supply chain security solution or purchase an existing platform?
This post dives into the technical, operational, and business considerations behind “build vs. buy” for software supply chain security. We’ll evaluate key factors including cost, time-to-market, compliance, customization, and ongoing risk management, illustrated with real-world insights and references to leading industry standards. Whether you’re defending enterprise applications or SaaS products, these guidelines will help ROI calculations and set your security team up for success.