What is an SBOM?

What are SBOMs?

A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) is like the ingredients list you find on the back of a chocolate bar—but for software. It provides a comprehensive inventory of all the components, libraries, and modules that make up your application. Much like a bill of materials for a physical product, an SBOM details every element that contributes to the final build, offering critical visibility into the software’s dependencies and relationships. This transparency is the foundation for managing risks, ensuring compliance, and maintaining the integrity of your software supply chain.

Why is an SBOM important?

SBOMs are essential for three main reasons:

1. Enhanced Security: They allow organizations to quickly identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in specific components, enabling a proactive defense against cybersecurity threats.
2. Regulatory Compliance: They provide a clear, auditable record of software components, which is increasingly required for audits, certifications, and government contracts.
3. Operational Efficiency: They simplify the tracking and management of updates and patches, making maintenance more efficient.

The Global Push for Transparency

Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are recognizing the critical role of SBOMs. Major frameworks now require or strongly recommend SBOMs, including:

• United States: Executive Order 14028, FDA medical device guidance, and CISA minimum elements
• European Union: Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and NIS2 Directive
• United Kingdom: Software Security Code of Practice (voluntary guidance for software vendors)
• Industry Standards: PCI DSS 4.0 for payment card security

For a comprehensive breakdown of all compliance frameworks, requirements, and field mappings, see our SBOM Compliance Guide.

Competing SBOM Formats

There are several formats in use today, but two have emerged as the industry standards:

1. CycloneDX: Developed by OWASP, this is a lightweight, security-focused standard designed specifically for application security and supply chain component analysis.
2. SPDX (Software Package Data Exchange): Developed by the Linux Foundation, this is a well-established standard widely used in open-source communities for documenting licenses and metadata.

While there is no single “winner” yet, both formats represent a positive step toward a more transparent and secure software ecosystem.

SBOM Deep Dive

If you want to do a deep dive into SBOMs, we recommend watching this interview with Allan Friedman (formerly CISA) on the podcast Nerding Out with Viktor.

For more podcast episodes covering SBOMs, CycloneDX, SPDX, and the EU Cyber Resilience Act, see our Video Resources.

In Summary

SBOMs are no longer optional; they are becoming a global standard for software transparency, security, and compliance. With regulations now in effect across the US and EU, the ability to generate and manage SBOMs is essential for modern software organizations. See our SBOM Compliance Guide for detailed requirements by framework.

Next Steps

Ready to start generating SBOMs for your projects? Here’s where to go next:

• SBOM Guides - Step-by-step guides for generating SBOMs in Python, JavaScript, Java, Go, Rust, and 10+ other languages
• SBOM Resources - Comprehensive list of SBOM tools for generation, distribution, and analysis
• sbomify GitHub Action - Automate SBOM generation in your CI/CD pipeline