Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)

What is a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)?

A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) is a detailed inventory of all components, dependencies, and libraries that make up a piece of software. Think of it like a nutrition label for software—it lists every ingredient (component) and its origin, allowing organizations to track, assess, and manage risk within their software supply chain.

SBOMs are essential for understanding the software composition of applications, firmware, and cloud-based environments. They typically include:

• A list of software components, including open-source and proprietary dependencies.

• Version numbers and identifiers like Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) or Package URLs (PURLs).

• License information, compliance details, and any known security vulnerabilities (e.g., CVEs).

• Metadata on provenance, such as where the component originated and its authorship.

Why is an SBOM Important?

Modern applications rely on third-party components that often introduce hidden risks into the software supply chain. Without visibility into what’s inside their software, organizations struggle to:

• Detect vulnerabilities early – Attackers target unpatched dependencies (e.g., Log4j, OpenSSL) that remain hidden without an SBOM.

• Manage software supply chain risk – Companies unknowingly inherit security flaws from vendors or open-source repositories.

• Meet regulatory requirements – SBOMs are now mandated in compliance frameworks like Executive Order 14028, the Cyber Resilience Act, and NIST security guidelines.

• Respond to security incidents faster – In the event of a zero-day exploit, an SBOM allows security teams to quickly identify affected software components and remediate risk.

How NetRise Helps with SBOMs

While SBOM generation tools exist, most only provide static snapshots of software components at the time of build—leaving organizations blind to what’s actually running in real-time.

NetRise solves this gap by delivering a continuously updated, AI-driven SBOM that tracks:

• Real-time execution visibility – Not just what’s installed, but what’s actively running across traditional IT, OT, IoT, and cloud environments.

• Deep software provenance – Who wrote the code? Where did it come from? Has it been involved in past security incidents?

• Automated risk correlation – Instantly flagging exploitable dependencies, supply chain compromises, and vulnerable software components.

With NetRise Vantage, organizations don’t just generate SBOMs—they gain full control over their software supply chain, ensuring trust, security, and compliance.