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As modern software development has evolved, open-source components have become increasingly common. This trend has brought many benefits, including increased development speed, reduced costs, and access to a wealth of community-maintained code.
The Open Source Service Market is expected to reach USD 54.1 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 16.2%. These numbers just go on to show how dependent we are on open-source software and tools. But are they risk-free?
Using open-source components also presents unique challenges to supply chain security. These challenges can be addressed using source composition analysis (SCA) tools, essential for identifying and mitigating security risks in the supply chain.
This article will discuss the top five free SCA scan tools.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is an approach for managing open-source components in application security. SCA allows development teams to instantly track and assess any open-source component added to a project. All connected components, supporting libraries, software licensing, deprecated dependencies, vulnerabilities, and potential exploits can all be detected with SCA techniques. The scanning procedure generates a bill of materials (BOM), which provides a detailed inventory of the software assets in a project.
But choosing the right one can be difficult with numerous SCA Scan tools available in the market. When selecting the right tool for your business, you need to find a developer-friendly SCA tool that can easily integrate into CI/CD pipeline, run automated scans at regular intervals, provide detailed SBoM reports and can identify direct and transitive dependencies.
Is your mind reeling?
Don't worry; we have compiled a list of top SCA Scan tools. Read on!
OWASP Dependency Check is a powerful open-source tool widely used for Software Composition Analysis to detect publicly disclosed vulnerabilities in your app's open-source dependencies. The tool is designed to search for a Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) identifier for each dependency in your app. If it finds one, it generates a report linking to the associated CVE entries.
The Dependency Check supports various programming languages and package managers, including Java, .NET, Ruby, and Python, making it a versatile tool for any development environment. It can also be easily integrated into your CI/CD pipeline, allowing you to run regular scans and catch vulnerabilities early in development. This helps ensure your app is secure and free from known vulnerabilities.
CycloneDX is a powerful tool that effectively generates and manages your app's Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs). The tool provides schemas for XML and JSON, defining a format for generating SBOMs that can be used to understand your app's supply chain and identify any vulnerabilities. CycloneDX natively supports integration with various scan tools, including OWASP Dependency Check, to generate and update SBOMs for your apps.
One of the key benefits of CycloneDX is that it can be used to automate the creation of SBOMs, making it easier to manage your app's supply chain security. With CycloneDX, you can better understand your app's dependencies and ensure that your app is free from any known vulnerabilities.
OWASP Dependency Tracker is another popular open-source tool that can help you track the usage of third-party dependencies, identify and remediate vulnerabilities, and enforce policy compliance from supply chain partners.
The tool is designed to consume and analyze SBOMs, making it essential for managing your app's supply chain security.
The Dependency Tracker supports various package managers and can be easily integrated with CI pipelines. It also supports custom rules and policies, allowing you to tailor the tool to your specific needs. With the OWASP Dependency Tracker, you can better understand your app's dependencies, track their usage, and ensure your open-source software is free from known vulnerabilities.
GitHub is a widely used code repository hosting service with several security features, including Dependabot. Dependabot is a free automated tool that scans your repository for vulnerable dependencies and malware. The tool is designed to send alerts whenever it detects that your repository uses a vulnerable dependency or malware, allowing you to take action to remediate the issue quickly.
Dependabot scans your repository whenever your dependencies change, making it easy to stay on top of any security risks. With Dependabot, you can configure alerts to your specific needs, ensuring you receive only the alerts that matter most to you.
GitHub is a powerful tool that can help you to improve your app's security posture and ensure that it is free from known vulnerabilities.
Debricked is a comprehensive SCA tool that provides a range of features to help you manage your app's supply chain security. The tool supports various programming languages and package managers and can be integrated into your CI/CD pipeline. One of the key benefits of Debricked is its ability to customize rules and policies, allowing you to tailor the tool to your specific needs.
Debricked is a paid tool but offers a free tier for open-source projects or smaller businesses. The tool provides detailed reporting and can help you to detect serious vulnerabilities that may be present in your app's dependencies. With Debricked, you can better understand your app's supply chain security and ensure that your app is free from vulnerabilities.
SCA tools are essential for addressing these risks and maintaining the security of your software supply chain. They can help you identify and mitigate vulnerabilities early in development, ensuring your app is secure.
By using one or more of these tools, you can ensure that your app's supply chain security is strong and resilient, reducing the risk of security incidents and ensuring the continued trust of your users.
Using SCA tools is an essential part of any modern software development process. With the growing complexity of today's software supply chains, it is no longer enough to rely solely on manual security checks. By leveraging the power of SCA Scan tools, you can automate identifying and mitigating security risks, making your development process faster, more efficient, and more secure.
Connect with the we45 team to bolster your product's security further. We automate security checks by looking for vulnerabilities throughout the entire SDLC and ensure that the app or software you launch is free of any risks that may hamper your business and your end users.
