Why software supply chain security is critical
Modern software development relies on interconnected tools, vendors, and open-source dependencies, increasing the risk of supply chain attacks. A single compromised component can expose thousands of organizations to cyber threats. Key reasons to prioritize software supply chain security include:
Expanding attack surface: Dependencies on third-party libraries, cloud services, and external vendors create multiple entry points for attackers. A single vulnerability in an open-source package or misconfigured CI/CD tool can compromise entire software ecosystems.
High-profile security breaches: Attacks like SolarWinds and Log4j have shown how supply chain compromises can lead to widespread malware distribution, data theft, and operational disruptions.
Regulatory and compliance mandates: Governments and industry bodies are enforcing stricter security requirements, such as the U.S. Executive Order on Cybersecurity and NIST’s Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF), to ensure software providers implement robust security measures.
Financial and reputational damage: A compromised supply chain can lead to regulatory fines, legal liabilities, and loss of customer trust.
The State of Code Security Report [2025]
Supply chain security isn’t just about monitoring dependencies—repository misconfigurations remain a major risk. The State of Code Security Report 2025 found that secrets exposure in GitHub repositories affects 61% of organizations.
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The components of a software supply chain
As we’ve mentioned, the supply chain is complex and involves myriad components, with each component introducing distinct security challenges. Here are the building blocks of any software supply chain and their associated risks:
Source code: The bedrock of any software, source code is the original code written by developers. It can be either proprietary or open source. A key security concern here is the risk of malicious code injection, which can happen directly to your code or through attacks on open-source projects.
Build tools: These are the utilities used to build code files and compile them. If build tools are compromised, malicious code can be inserted into your software without your knowledge. That’s why ensuring the integrity and security of build tools is a crucial means of protecting your software.
Software delivery tools: These are tools that help to build, test, and deploy software. Security risks here stem from unauthorized access or misconfigurations, which could lead to the introduction of vulnerabilities or malware in the software. To combat risks, it’s vital to secure these pipelines and maintain stringent access controls.
People: Everyone involved in the software's life cycle can introduce risks, including developers, DevOps engineers, and security engineers. In fact, people on your teams often pose a significant risk through errors, a lack of security awareness, or even malicious intent. Ensuring proper training and adherence to security practices is essential to safeguard the supply chain from this angle.
Processes: These are procedures and practices your organization uses to manage the software supply chain. It's a broad category, encompassing everything from risk management and cybersecurity principles to the practices for evaluating and securing third-party software components. Effective processes are crucial for identifying and mitigating risks across the supply chain.
Each component plays a vital role in your software supply chain, and each presents unique security challenges. Addressing risks requires a comprehensive approach, combining robust security practices, vigilant monitoring, and continuous improvement to adapt to evolving threats and technologies.
Best practices for securing the supply chain
Now that we’ve seen the consequences of security threats and vulnerabilities, let's delve into best practices that mitigate risks in the following areas:
1. Implement a secure software development lifecycle (SDLC)
Modern software development moves fast, but speed shouldn’t come at the cost of security. Without a structured approach to securing the development process, vulnerabilities can slip through, exposing applications to exploits down the line. Here’s how to build security into your SDLC:
Enforce security-by-design principles: Embed security considerations from the start, rather than bolting them on later. This includes defining security requirements, conducting threat modeling, and implementing secure architecture reviews before writing a single line of code.
Adopt shift-left security measures: Integrate security checks early in the CI/CD pipeline by using software composition analysis (SCA) and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) scanning. Catching vulnerabilities earlier reduces remediation costs and improves overall security posture.
Train developers on secure coding practices: Developers are the first line of defense against security flaws. Provide ongoing training on common vulnerabilities (such as the OWASP Top 10) and best practices like input validation and secure API design.
Implement automated security gates: Automate security testing at every phase of development, ensuring that vulnerabilities are identified and mitigated before code reaches production. Set up mandatory security approvals in CI/CD pipelines to prevent insecure code deployments.
2. Secure your containers
Without proper container security measures, there’s a higher risk of vulnerabilities, malware, and unauthorized access, which can lead to compromised software, data breaches, and a loss of customer trust. By prioritizing container security, you can protect your software and reputation. Here’s how:
Manage secrets securely: Using a secrets manager such as AWS Secrets Manager is always recommended. Storing credentials and other sensitive data directly in the code or config files is extremely risky.
Secure the container runtime and Kubernetes environment: Create isolated virtual networks for containers, use TLS for service communication, and employ tools like the Docker Image policy plugin to control image pulling. In Kubernetes, enforce TLS, use network policies, and integrate clusters with secrets management systems.
Use thin, short-lived containers: Keep containers lightweight and ephemeral, minimizing components to reduce the attack surface. Regularly update images to address vulnerabilities.
Employ container security tools: Use tools like Wiz for vulnerability scanning, configuration checking, and real-time threat detection and response.
Prioritize patch management and configuration fixes: Regularly update and patch container runtime tools, applications within containers, and host systems. Continuously check and fix configuration settings to maintain a secure environment.
3. Secure the CI/CD pipeline
Securing your CI/CD pipelines is crucial due to the threats posed by compromised code development and management tools. Attackers can target critical components (such as code repositories and build servers) to inject malicious code. The complexity of CI/CD environments and the fast pace of development can make it challenging to detect and prevent such compromises. But there are ways to implement robust security measures to protect the integrity and security of your software supply chain:
Automate security scans: Integrate tools like SonarQube or Checkmarx into your CI/CD pipeline for continuous vulnerability detection through static and dynamic analysis. Ensure these scans are triggered after every code commit, and set up immediate notifications so that developers learn about vulnerabilities as soon as they’re flagged.
Implement role-based access control (RBAC): Define roles and responsibilities within your organization and configure RBAC in tools like Jenkins. Regularly audit roles and permissions to ensure they align with the principle of least privilege. With fine-tuned access control policies, you can get peace of mind that your source control tools are not compromised.
Prioritize version control: Use platforms like GitHub or Bitbucket for efficient version control and auditing. Regularly audit commit history and use .gitignore to exclude sensitive files. Implement pre-commit hooks to prevent committing secrets.
Automate testing: Integrate tools like Wiz into CI/CD pipelines for continuous security assessments. Regularly update and refine test cases to ensure they cover current vulnerabilities.
Hell’s Keychain: Supply-chain vulnerability in IBM Cloud Databases for PostgreSQL allows potential unauthorized database access
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4. Ensure cloud vendor security
Cloud vendors offer infrastructure, platforms, and software services that are essential for developing, hosting, and distributing software products. That’s why cloud vendor security is a pivotal part of safeguarding the software supply chain.
Inadequate security measures at the cloud-vendor level can lead to vulnerabilities across the supply chain, potentially compromising the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of software products. This can result in breaches, unauthorized access, and data loss, eroding trust with customers and users. Here’s how to achieve robust cloud vendor security:
Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA): A crucial security measure can be achieved by an additional layer of security in the form of MFA. It's especially important that admin accounts defend against phishing and other cyber threats using factors like WebAuthn or YubiKey.
Leverage the principle of least privilege: Regularly review and update user roles and permissions, ensuring users have only the access they need. This minimizes potential damage from breaches or insider threats to your cloud vendor tools.
Integrate data encryption: Encrypt data both at rest and in transit using strong encryption standards to maintain confidentiality and integrity, and frequently change encryption keys.
Bolster awareness: Hold regular training sessions for your teams that cover security best practices, helping everyone stay informed about the latest threats and mitigation techniques.
What is the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)? Use Cases, Benefits, and Implementation
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5. Use a software bill of materials (SBOM)
A software bill of materials (SBOM) provides a transparent inventory of all software components, including open-source libraries, dependencies, and their versions. By maintaining an SBOM, organizations can identify security risks, manage third-party dependencies, and strengthen supply chain security.
Integrate SBOM generation into your CI/CD pipeline: Automate SBOM creation as part of the development process to ensure real-time visibility into software components. Embedding SBOM tools into CI/CD workflows helps track changes and detect vulnerabilities early.
Use SBOM tools to track dependencies: Implement SBOM tools like Wiz to automatically generate and maintain an up-to-date SBOM. These tools help detect outdated or vulnerable components and ensure that dependencies are securely managed.
Ensure compliance with regulatory bodies: Regulations like the U.S. Executive Order on Cybersecurity and NIST guidelines now mandate SBOM usage for software providers. Maintaining an SBOM ensures compliance with industry standards while strengthening overall security.
Monitor for supply chain risks: Use SBOM data to continuously assess third-party risks, flagging components with known vulnerabilities and replacing them with secure alternatives.
6. Conduct continuous vulnerability management
New vulnerabilities emerge every day, and cyber criminals are quick to exploit them. That’s why vulnerability management can’t be a one-time effort—it needs to be a continuous process. Proactively identifying, assessing, and remediating security weaknesses is essential to reduce your organization’s attack surface and minimize the risk of exploitation.
A strong vulnerability management strategy combines automation, real-time threat intelligence, and rigorous testing to stay ahead of potential threats. Here’s how to make it work:
Implement automated vulnerability scanning tools: Use agentless security platforms like Wiz to scan your code, cloud workloads, and dependencies in real time. Automate scans in CI/CD pipelines to detect security flaws before deployment.
Monitor for zero-day and known vulnerabilities: Stay ahead of emerging threats by integrating vulnerability intelligence feeds (e.g., CVE databases, vendor advisories) into your security workflow. Prioritize fixing critical vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.
Prioritize high-risk vulnerabilities through risk-based assessments: Not all vulnerabilities pose an equal risk. Use contextual analysis to determine which weaknesses present the highest threat based on exploitability and business impact.
Introduce vulnerabilities to test and manage: Regularly conduct penetration testing and red team exercises to simulate real-world attacks. These exercises help uncover overlooked security gaps and improve incident response readiness.
7. Monitor for software supply chain threats
Supply chain attacks are often stealthy, with attackers injecting malicious code, exploiting misconfigurations, or compromising third-party vendors. Without continuous monitoring, these threats can go undetected until it's too late. A proactive approach, powered by real-time threat intelligence and automated security monitoring, helps organizations identify suspicious activity before it leads to a full-blown breach. Here’s how to stay ahead of supply chain threats:
Deploy threat intelligence feeds to detect emerging threats: Integrate sources like MITRE ATT&CK, VirusTotal, and open-source threat feeds into your security stack to stay ahead of evolving attack techniques.
Use security solutions for additional protection: Leverage Wiz’s cloud-native security capabilities to identify and remediate misconfigurations, exposed credentials, and malicious code injections in real time.
Monitor unusual or unauthorized changes and anomalies: Set up alerts for unexpected code modifications, unauthorized access attempts, or deviations in software behavior that could indicate compromise.
Conduct regular supply chain risk assessments: Continuously evaluate the security posture of third-party components, vendors, and integrations to prevent threats from infiltrating your software environment.
8. Automate security testing and compliance checks
Manually testing for vulnerabilities and ensuring compliance is time-consuming, prone to human error, and impossible to scale. Automation streamlines security testing, enforces compliance requirements, and ensures that security is continuously integrated into the development process.
Here’s how to automate security testing and compliance effectively:
Integrate various testing methodologies into CI/CD pipelines: Implement automated static (SAST), dynamic (DAST), and interactive (IAST) security testing to catch vulnerabilities before code is deployed.
Use SCA tools to scan for vulnerable dependencies: Automate dependency tracking with SCA tools like Wiz to identify and remediate security flaws in third-party libraries.
Automate compliance checks for industry regulations: Use tools that continuously validate compliance with frameworks like NIST, SOC 2, and ISO 27001, ensuring that security policies remain up to date.
Generate real-time security reports for audits: Automate security documentation and reporting to streamline compliance audits and demonstrate adherence to best practices.
Common vulnerabilities and threats in the supply chain
Securing the software supply chain is essential for providing products that are safe for end users. The first step is to understand common security issues and potential risks. Keep reading to learn about five key problems to look for.
1. Configuration errors
Misconfigurations can make your cloud resources insecure or cause your containers to run with excessive privileges, ultimately exposing applications to security threats. Traditional monitoring tools may not be sufficient for such dynamic environments, necessitating more specialized approaches to ensure security and prevent incidents.
Configuration errors in containerized applications often arise from insecure container images or misconfigurations in orchestration settings and network controls. Due to the dynamic and transient characteristics of container environments, detecting and managing these errors becomes more complex.
2. Dependency confusion attacks
Dependency confusion attacks exploit software dependency management systems by mimicking legitimate packages. Attackers create counterfeit packages that mirror the names of private or internal dependencies used in software projects. These malicious packages are then uploaded to public repositories, where they can be mistakenly incorporated into software projects during the build process. Dependency confusion attacks take advantage of the trust placed in dependency management systems and can lead to the inadvertent introduction of malicious code into software applications.
Such attacks highlight the need for rigorous validation of software dependencies and heightened awareness of this emerging threat vector.
3. Compromised code development and management tools
Compromised development and management tools present a significant threat to software supply chains. Attackers may target essential components such as code repositories, build servers, and integrated development environments (IDEs) to inject malicious code. This strategy causes developers and/or users to distribute compromised software without knowing it.
The diverse and interconnected nature of CI/CD pipelines, coupled with the fast pace of development, can sometimes lead to security oversights, making it challenging to detect and prevent such compromises.
4. Insecure data transmission and lack of encryption
Inadequate encryption practices can expose sensitive information to unauthorized users. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in cloud environments, and as a result, cloud vendors typically offer advanced encryption tools to protect your data both at rest and in transit.
However, effectively implementing these encryption mechanisms requires a comprehensive understanding of their appropriate usage. Ensuring data security in the cloud involves managing access controls, maintaining the visibility of resources, and applying additional encryption to safeguard data integrity and confidentiality.
5. Third-party risks
Third-party risks in the software supply chain arise from dependencies on external vendors and service providers. These risks can manifest in various forms, including vulnerabilities in third-party software or inadequate security practices.
The use of software-as-a-service (SaaS) CI/CD tools, such as GitLab and CircleCI, introduces additional supply chain security concerns because dependence on these third-party tools can expose organizations to risks if the tools are compromised or contain vulnerabilities.
In container environments, using unverified container images from public registries can lead to supply chain attacks, underscoring the need for vigilant vetting of third-party components and services.
CI/CD Supply Chain Attack
Hosted by experts Eden Naftali and Amitai Cohen, the Crying Out Cloud podcast provides in-depth coverage of the most important vulnerabilities and incidents from the previous month. Tune in for insightful analysis and expert recommendations to help you safeguard your cloud infrastructure.
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Boost your software supply chain security with Wiz
Securing the software supply chain is more critical than ever, as vulnerabilities in third-party components, cloud services, and CI/CD pipelines can expose organizations to devastating attacks. Implementing best practices like container security, robust CI/CD protections, and continuous monitoring can significantly reduce risks.
Wiz takes this a step further by providing agentless SBOM visibility, supply chain risk identification, and end-to-end security from build to runtime. With Wiz, organizations can detect and remediate threats before they cause harm, ensuring a more resilient software supply chain.
Get a demo today to see how Wiz can help strengthen your supply chain security.
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