US and Allies Issue New Software Supply Chain Security Guidelines
▼ Summary
– Fifteen countries’ cybersecurity and intelligence agencies have jointly issued new guidance to strengthen global supply chain security through Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs).
– The document, signed by 21 government agencies including CISA and the NSA, defines SBOMs, outlines their value, and provides implementation guidance.
– It encourages widespread SBOM adoption across sectors and borders, harmonized technical implementations, and integration into security workflows for better risk management.
– Signatory officials emphasized SBOMs’ importance for software transparency, security, and resilience in complex digital environments with numerous components.
– While the guidance reflects broad international consensus, further steps are needed for harmonization to avoid divergent implementations hindering adoption and effectiveness.
A significant international effort has produced new guidelines aimed at strengthening software supply chain security through the adoption of Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs). On September 3, a coalition of 21 government agencies from 15 countries, including prominent US bodies like CISA and the NSA, released a document titled “A Shared Vision of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) for Cybersecurity.” This framework establishes common definitions, outlines the value of SBOMs, and provides implementation guidance to enhance transparency and risk management across global digital ecosystems.
The guidance clearly defines the responsibilities of various stakeholders, including SBOM producers, end-users (referred to as “choosers”), operators, and national cybersecurity organizations. It advocates for broad adoption of SBOMs across industries and national boundaries, promotes standardized technical approaches to lower complexity and expense, and encourages integrating SBOMs into existing security practices to improve threat detection and response.
A CISA spokesperson described this agreement as a milestone demonstrating growing global consensus on the critical role of software transparency in securing supply chains. Lukáš Kintr, director of the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency, highlighted the challenges posed by modern software complexity, noting that applications often incorporate hundreds of components from diverse sources. He emphasized that SBOMs bring essential visibility into software composition, calling them a fundamental step toward building secure and resilient systems from the ground up.
Nobutaka Takeo from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry expressed satisfaction with the international recognition of SBOM importance, referencing Japan’s own SBOM Guidance 2.0 released last year. He reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to raising stakeholder awareness and contributing actively to ongoing global discussions.
Allan Friedman, who previously led CISA’s SBOM initiatives, welcomed the joint guidance as a historic collaboration involving the largest number of international organizations to align with CISA on such a document. While noting that the guidance does not introduce radical new concepts, he praised the breadth of international input and pointed to the need for further technical harmonization. Friedman warned that divergent implementation approaches could obstruct widespread and sustainable SBOM adoption, stressing that a coordinated strategy would boost effectiveness while reducing both cost and complexity.
(Source: Info Security)
