What is SBOM

A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) is essentially a detailed inventory that lists all components in a piece of software. SBOMs play a crucial role in understanding the software composition, including open source and proprietary code, which is pivotal for identifying potential security vulnerabilities and managing cybersecurity risks efficiently​.

Main Drivers for SBOM

The main drivers for the adoption of SBOMs include heightened cybersecurity threats, regulatory requirements, and the need for transparency in software supply chains. With cyber regulations becoming more stringent and software supply chain attacks on the rise, SBOMs provide a framework for companies to assess and manage their exposure to risks more effectively​.

Benefits of SBOM for Power Utilities

For power utilities, managing SBOMs offers significant benefits, including enhanced cybersecurity, compliance with regulations such as NERC CIP (North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Protection), better vulnerability and patch management, and improved supply chain transparency. This transparency is crucial in operational technology (OT) environments, where understanding the software makeup can help mitigate potential cybersecurity threats.

Challenges Related to SBOM Management

Despite the clear benefits, there are several challenges related to SBOM management, including the complexity of creating comprehensive and accurate SBOMs, resistance from vendors in sharing SBOM data, and the dynamic nature of software that requires continuous updates to the SBOMs. Moreover, operationalizing SBOMs within an organization’s cybersecurity strategy involves technical, contractual, and procedural hurdles​​.

Experience in Implementing SBOM in Electrical Utilities

The Southern Company’s experience with creating an SBOM for an electric power substation highlighted both the potential benefits and the challenges. They achieved a deeper understanding of their OT network’s software components, aiding in compliance, vulnerability management, and prioritization of software patching. However, they also faced obstacles such as reluctance from vendors to share SBOM data and the realization that creating a practical and actionable SBOM requires substantial effort and collaboration.

Implementing SBOM: Step-by-Step Guide

Implementing an SBOM within an organization involves a series of steps that ensure thorough inventory, management, and security of software components. Here’s a step-by-step guide, drawn from industry best practices and insights from the articles you provided:

1. Establish SBOM Objectives: Define what you aim to achieve with SBOMs, such as compliance with regulations, improved software transparency, enhanced cybersecurity, or supply chain risk management​.
2. Inventory Software Components: Start by cataloging all software components used across your organization. This includes proprietary code, open-source components, and third-party software​.
3. Choose an SBOM Standard: Decide on a format for your SBOMs. The two main standards are SPDX and CycloneDX, which are widely accepted for their comprehensiveness and interoperability​.
4. Generate SBOMs: Use tools or manual processes to generate SBOMs for each software product. This step involves identifying all components, their versions, licenses, and known vulnerabilities​.
5. Verify and Validate SBOM Data: Ensure the accuracy and completeness of the SBOM data. This may involve manual checks or automated tools to compare SBOM contents against known databases and vendor information​.
6. Integrate SBOM Management into Development Lifecycle: Incorporate SBOM generation and updating into your software development and update cycles. This ensures that SBOMs remain accurate as software evolves​.
7. Utilize SBOMs for Security and Compliance: Use SBOMs to identify vulnerabilities, manage licenses, and comply with regulatory requirements. Integrate SBOM analysis into your vulnerability management and compliance processes​​.
8. Establish Processes for External SBOM Requests: Develop a policy for sharing SBOMs with external parties, such as customers or regulators, and for handling SBOM requests from vendors as part of your procurement process​.
9. Educate and Train Staff: Provide training for relevant staff on SBOM benefits, standards, generation tools, and best practices for maintaining and using SBOMs effectively.
10. Review and Update Regularly: Establish a schedule for regularly reviewing and updating SBOMs and related processes. This ensures they continue to meet organizational needs and adapt to new regulatory or security requirements.
11. Expand SBOM Usage: As your organization becomes more comfortable with SBOM management, explore advanced uses, such as integrating SBOM data into risk assessment tools or using SBOMs to facilitate software bill of health checks before deployment.

Implementing an SBOM program is an iterative process that evolves with your organization’s needs and the software landscape. By following these steps, organizations can enhance their cybersecurity posture, improve software transparency, and better manage supply chain risks.

Conclusions

SBOMs represent a vital tool in the cybersecurity arsenal, especially for critical infrastructure sectors like power utilities. They offer a path toward greater transparency, enhanced security, and compliance. However, the adoption and management of SBOMs are not without challenges, including the need for standardization, vendor cooperation, and the integration of SBOM practices into existing cybersecurity frameworks. As the industry evolves, so too will the approaches to SBOM management, aiming to overcome these hurdles and maximize the benefits of this important practice.