For threat actors looking to create widespread damage, attacking a third-party supplier with services and software that organizations can’t always control the security measures for continues to be an enticing target. The supply chain is now the weakest link.

Let’s face it, the tech world is a whirlwind of constant evolution. AI is no longer just a fancy add-on; it’s shaking things up and becoming part and parcel of various industries, not least software development. One such tech marvel that’s stealthily carving out a significant role in our software supply chain is OpenAI’s impressive language model – ChatGPT.

Weaknesses within software supply chains create a foothold for exploitation from cyberattacks. The problem is so significant that even the White House released an Executive Order that speaks directly on this topic. “The Federal Government must take action to rapidly improve the security and integrity of the software supply chain,” states the Executive Order emphatically. Now, you may be wondering what your organization can do to mitigate this risk.

In the aftermath of supply chain breaches against SolarWinds and Codecov, organizations are focused on protecting their software from malicious tampering and compromise. Addressing the complexity of software development and potential security exposures has been top of mind. The complexity goes beyond traditional application security as the software supply chain encompasses and spans across different services, organizations, roles, and responsibilities.

The 2021 Log4Shell incident cast a bright light on open source software security — and especially on supply chain security. The 18 months following the incident brought a greater focus on open source software security than at any time in history. Organizations like the OpenSSF, AlphaOmega, and large technology companies are putting considerable resources towards tooling and education. But is open source software security actually improving? And where are efforts still falling short?

While perhaps new to AI researchers, supply chain attacks are nothing new to the world of cybersecurity. For those in the know, it has been best practice to verify the source and authenticity of downloads, package repositories, and containers. But human nature usually wins. As developers, our desire to move quickly to improve ease of use for users and customers can cause us to delay efforts to validate the software supply chain until we are forced to by our peers in compliance or security organizations.

One of the biggest threats to software supply chain security is open source software applications and components. Many enterprises and small businesses have come to rely on open source solutions, and they are an important part of IT strategies today. But vulnerabilities in open source software present a risk because they can provide cyber criminals with a way to carry out attacks.

Software and applications make the world go round. This naturally makes them a top attack target for threat actors, and highlights the importance of robust software supply chain compliance. But how do companies build and implement a compliance strategy that solves the challenges of modern application security? Let’s take a look.