Creating and Using SBOMs: Mitigating Security Risks in the Supply Chain

Written By:
Founder & CTO
June 18, 2025

As modern software development increasingly relies on open-source libraries, third-party integrations, containers, and multi-layered dependencies, securing the software supply chain has become a developer's responsibility, not just a compliance checkbox. A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) gives developers visibility into every component used in an application, enabling proactive risk management, vulnerability tracking, license compliance, and regulatory alignment. In this blog, we’ll deeply explore how SBOMs are created, why they are critical for mitigating supply chain security risks, how they compare to traditional methods, and how to integrate them seamlessly into the developer workflow.

This comprehensive guide is designed specifically for developers, DevOps engineers, SREs, and security practitioners who are building, securing, and deploying software across complex environments. The goal is not just to meet compliance, but to build secure, transparent, and traceable software ecosystems from the ground up.

What is a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) and Why It Matters to Developers

A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) is a nested inventory or list of all components, libraries, packages, and dependencies that are included in a software product. Just like the ingredients label on a food package, the SBOM provides transparency about what's inside the software artifact. For developers, this means:

  • Knowing what third-party packages are bundled into your build.

  • Understanding dependency relationships, especially transitive (indirect) dependencies.

  • Tracking exact versions, cryptographic hashes, and component sources.

The importance of SBOMs stems from the growing complexity of today’s applications. Most modern software is no longer written from scratch. Instead, developers assemble code using numerous open-source packages, proprietary modules, container base images, and SDKs. Without an accurate SBOM, you’re essentially shipping a black box, unknown parts from unknown sources.

From a supply chain security perspective, this lack of visibility is dangerous. It exposes organizations to vulnerabilities (e.g., Log4Shell), licensing conflicts, and compliance failures. SBOMs allow development teams to:

  • Maintain full visibility of their software’s makeup.

  • Identify vulnerable packages via CVE scanning.

  • Prepare for faster incident response and patching.

  • Fulfill compliance requirements from customers or regulators.

  • Establish trust and transparency in vendor relationships.

In the context of DevSecOps, SBOMs act as a foundational element for secure software development pipelines.

How SBOMs Differ From Traditional Software Inventory Methods

Before SBOMs became mainstream, software inventories were often maintained manually or with minimal automation. These traditional inventory methods, like spreadsheets or incomplete dependency manifests, were error-prone and failed to reflect actual builds.

In contrast, SBOMs bring several key advantages:

  • Automation and Accuracy: SBOMs are generated automatically using tools integrated into the build pipeline, ensuring accuracy and reducing human error.

  • Full Dependency Visibility: Traditional inventories often miss transitive dependencies. SBOMs capture both direct and indirect relationships, which is crucial since vulnerabilities can exist deep within dependency trees.

  • Standardized Formats: SBOMs use open, machine-readable standards like CycloneDX and SPDX, making them interoperable across tools and organizations.

  • Machine-Scannable: SBOMs are structured in formats like JSON and XML, enabling immediate vulnerability scans and license checks.

  • Lifecycle Tracking: SBOMs can be versioned and tied to specific builds, making it easier to reproduce and analyze historical releases.

Unlike traditional inventories that are often reactive and incomplete, SBOMs provide proactive, real-time visibility, a major advantage when security events require immediate action.

Generating SBOMs: A Practical Approach for Developers

Creating a Software Bill of Materials is not a complicated process, but it must be intentional and systematic. The process should be embedded into your existing build and CI/CD pipeline to avoid manual overhead and ensure consistency.

1. Choose the Right Format
The two most widely accepted SBOM formats are:

  • CycloneDX – Popular in developer communities, especially for cloud-native and microservice architectures. Lightweight, extensible, and supported by tools like Syft, OWASP Dependency-Track.

  • SPDX – Originating from the Linux Foundation, this format is more comprehensive and often used in enterprise or regulatory contexts.

2. Use SBOM Generation Tools
Several tools can generate SBOMs automatically from source code, container images, or binaries. Some popular options include:

  • Syft – Open-source, fast, and language-agnostic SBOM generator.

  • Anchore – Enterprise-grade container security platform with built-in SBOM support.

  • FOSSA, Black Duck – Commercial SCA tools with advanced SBOM capabilities.

  • CycloneDX CLI – Command-line interface for generating CycloneDX SBOMs.

3. Integrate SBOM Generation into CI/CD Pipelines
To maintain consistency, developers should integrate SBOM generation into CI workflows:

  • Add SBOM generation steps in build stages (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins).

  • Configure tools to run on each merge or release.

  • Store SBOMs as build artifacts alongside your code.

4. Automate Export and Delivery
SBOMs should be included in your release process:

  • Embed the SBOM in your container image or software package.

  • Publish the SBOM alongside release notes or as part of your API documentation.

  • Use digital signatures or cryptographic hashes to ensure integrity.

5. Scan and Validate Regularly
Generate and scan SBOMs frequently to catch newly disclosed vulnerabilities. Tools like Grype or Dependency-Track can be configured to automatically evaluate your SBOMs against public CVE databases.

Lightweight but Powerful: How SBOMs Fit into Modern Development Workflows

One of the biggest myths around SBOMs is that they are heavy, complex, or slow. In reality, with the right tools and automation, SBOMs are lightweight and highly scalable even in microservice-heavy environments.

For instance:

  • A microservice with 20–30 dependencies may generate a CycloneDX SBOM of just 10–50 KB, easily handled in CI pipelines.

  • SBOMs can be generated in under a second with tools like Syft.

  • They do not introduce runtime overhead as they are generated at build time, not during execution.

This makes SBOMs an ideal fit for modern CI/CD practices, especially in containerized environments, where transparency and reproducibility are critical.

SBOM Integration: Developer-Centric Workflow

Here’s how a typical SBOM lifecycle looks when integrated effectively:

Development Phase
Developers use SBOM tools locally to inspect dependency trees and identify risky components early in the dev cycle. This supports shift-left security and enables faster refactoring.

Build & CI Phase
CI/CD pipelines generate SBOMs on each commit or merge. These SBOMs are saved as artifacts, digitally signed, and scanned against known vulnerabilities.

Release Phase
The final software package is bundled with an SBOM, which becomes part of the official release. This is especially important in regulated industries or when selling software to enterprises.

Consumption Phase
Customers, partners, and security teams consume SBOMs to validate software integrity, perform risk assessments, or integrate into their own vulnerability management systems.

This tight integration makes SBOMs not just a compliance artifact, but a living asset that supports ongoing security, collaboration, and trust.

Advantages for Developers: Why You Should Embrace SBOMs Today

Developers stand to gain tremendously from adopting SBOMs. Here’s why:

  • Enhanced Vulnerability Awareness: SBOMs expose hidden risks early, giving you the power to address issues before they become exploits.

  • Faster Incident Response: When a zero-day vulnerability is disclosed (e.g., Log4Shell), SBOMs allow teams to instantly search affected builds.

  • License Clarity: With SBOMs, you can easily audit licenses (MIT, Apache, GPL, etc.) and prevent non-compliant distributions.

  • Improved Build Transparency: SBOMs demystify your build process by showing every component and its origin.

  • Streamlined Security Audits: During audits, you’ll no longer scramble to track what’s in your codebase. Your SBOM is the answer.

By incorporating SBOMs early and consistently, developers can reduce friction between engineering and security teams and accelerate safe delivery.

SBOM + SCA + SAST = Complete Security Coverage

SBOMs are powerful on their own but even more valuable when combined with complementary tools:

  • SCA (Software Composition Analysis) tools continuously monitor SBOMs to detect new CVEs or license violations. Tools like FOSSA and WhiteSource excel in this area.

  • SAST (Static Application Security Testing) checks your own codebase for logic flaws and security weaknesses. It works hand-in-hand with SBOMs to provide full coverage.

  • VEX (Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange) allows you to annotate SBOMs with information on whether known vulnerabilities are exploitable in your context.

Together, SBOM + SCA + SAST form a robust DevSecOps security stack that gives you 360-degree visibility.

Overcoming Common Challenges in SBOM Adoption

Despite their advantages, some challenges still persist:

  • Tool Fragmentation: Stick to open, well-supported tools like Syft and SPDX/CycloneDX to avoid lock-in.

  • Format Incompatibility: Convert between formats using open-source tools to ensure interoperability.

  • Pipeline Overhead: Optimize SBOM generation for speed and run heavy scans asynchronously to reduce delays.

  • Data Integrity: Sign your SBOMs and validate authenticity during deployments or security reviews.

By planning your SBOM strategy early and aligning with existing developer tools, you can avoid most pitfalls and unlock long-term benefits.

Real-World Example: Building a Node.js Microservice with SBOM Integration

Let’s say you’re building a containerized Node.js microservice. Here’s how to implement SBOM in a few simple steps:

  1. Generate SBOM with Syft:
    syft node:18-alpine -o cyclonedx-json > sbom.json

  2. Scan for vulnerabilities:
    grype sbom:sbom.json --fail-on high

  3. Integrate in CI:
    Add the above steps to your GitHub Actions or Jenkins pipeline.

  4. Package SBOM:
    Embed sbom.json inside your Docker image or attach it to your Helm chart.

  5. Distribute & share:
    Publish the SBOM in your release repository or with documentation.

  6. Monitor & update:
    Use SCA tools to monitor new vulnerabilities that might affect older releases.

This lightweight process ensures that your microservice is secure, transparent, and compliant, without slowing down your development workflow.

Looking Ahead: The Future of SBOMs

The future of SBOMs is evolving rapidly:

  • AI BOMs (Artificial Intelligence Bill of Materials) are emerging to document models, training data, and ML pipelines.

  • Blockchain-backed SBOMs are being researched for secure sharing and immutability.

  • Attestation frameworks are combining SBOMs with build provenance (e.g., SLSA, Sigstore) to verify authenticity.

As the software ecosystem grows in complexity, SBOMs will play an increasingly vital role in safeguarding both application security and organizational integrity.