CISA Unveils New Tool to Secure Software Procurement
▼ Summary
– CISA has released a free interactive web tool to improve cybersecurity in software procurement for IT leaders, procurement officers, and vendors.
– The tool digitizes and adapts CISA’s Software Acquisition Guide to make evaluating software assurance and supplier risk more accessible.
– It features adaptive sections, context-relevant questions, and exportable summaries to support informed due diligence and decision-making.
– The release responds to growing concerns over software supply chain vulnerabilities, which have been exploited in major cyber-attacks.
– The tool is designed for users without cybersecurity expertise and has already seen high demand, with over 10,000 users and 4,000 downloads of the original guide.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has launched a new digital platform to help organizations enhance cybersecurity during software procurement. This free interactive tool, known as the Software Acquisition Guide: Supplier Response Web Tool, supports IT leaders, procurement specialists, and vendors in evaluating software assurance and managing supply chain risks more effectively.
Developed as an evolution of CISA’s earlier Software Acquisition Guide, the web-based version transforms static guidance into a dynamic resource. It adapts to user inputs, offering tailored recommendations and highlighting the most relevant security considerations for each unique acquisition scenario. The platform also generates exportable reports, making it easier for chief information security officers and other leaders to review and act on the findings.
Marci McCarthy, CISA’s director of public affairs, emphasized the agency’s focus on delivering practical resources that simplify secure procurement. “Moving to an interactive format allows organizations to weave cybersecurity seamlessly into their acquisition processes,” she noted.
Key capabilities of the tool include breaking down complex guidelines into manageable sections, emphasizing context-specific questions, and producing summary documents for decision-makers. These features are designed to support thorough due diligence even for professionals without deep cybersecurity expertise.
This release arrives amid heightened awareness of software supply chain vulnerabilities, which have been exploited in numerous high-profile cyber incidents affecting both public and private sectors. The original guide and its supplementary materials have already seen significant adoption, with more than 10,000 users and 4,000 downloads, reflecting strong demand from federal, state, and local governments as well as small and mid-sized businesses.
A major advantage of the tool is its accessibility, procurement teams do not need to be security specialists to use it effectively. It guides users through assessing supplier practices across the entire software lifecycle, including development, deployment, and vulnerability management.
This initiative is part of CISA’s broader strategy to improve software supply chain resilience nationwide. Alongside resources like the Secure by Design Guide, the tool helps organizations determine whether security is genuinely integrated into a vendor’s operations. By digitizing and streamlining the acquisition framework, CISA aims to empower organizations of all sizes to adopt more informed and resilient procurement strategies.
(Source: InfoSecurity)
