How to Select the Best SBOM Tool for Your Company

Product security has become a focus area across many industries, including automotive, medical device, critical infrastructure and telecom. This trend necessitates a framework that standardizes asset management as a baseline for assurance and vulnerability management activities.

This is where a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) comes into play. An SBOM is a detailed list of all components in a software product, including open-source, third-party, and proprietary software.

Selecting the right SBOM tool is essential for ensuring security, compliance, and operational efficiency. However, with the growing number of SBOM tools, finding the right one has become a rather confusing task. This guide will help you navigate the key parameters to decide how to choose an SBOM tool for your company, based on extensive market research.

Selecting the right SBOM tool impacts your ability to manage software components effectively. A well-chosen tool enhances security, compliance, and risk management capabilities.

It provides full visibility into software components, helping to identify vulnerabilities and manage risks associated with third-party components. This is particularly important in light of increasing regulatory requirements and the evolving threat landscape.

Comprehensive SBOM management brings numerous advantages to your organization.

Comprehensive SBOM management improves security by providing full visibility into software components. This visibility helps in identifying vulnerabilities and addressing them proactively.

SBOMs play a crucial role in meeting regulatory and compliance requirements such as the FDA PMA, EU CRA, ISO 21434, IEC 62443 and others. They provide a detailed inventory of software components, making it easier to ensure compliance with industry standards.

SBOMs help in identifying and mitigating risks associated with third-party components. By understanding the dependencies and relationships between components, organizations can manage risks more effectively.

Generating an SBOM is easy. Producing a high-fidelity, reliable, and credible SBOM is something else altogether. Consider these critical factors to select an SBOM tool that both ensures credibility and is ready for complex enterprise deployments:

The SBOM tool should cover all components and dependencies in your software. It should provide a complete and accurate inventory of all software components, including open-source, third-party, and proprietary software.

Moreover, it should be able to enrich the findings with data from additional sources, such as source code analysis, binary scanners, as well as product data such as SOUP lists.

Integration capabilities are crucial for an SBOM tool. The tool should integrate seamlessly with your existing software development and management tools, such as CI/CD pipelines, PLM, ERP, QMS and software update systems. Support for SBOM and VEX standards like CycloneDX and SPDX is also essential​.

Another important aspect is the tool’s fit for the specific products your company develops. If you are in an embedded device industry, such as automotive, medical device or IoT, make sure the SBOM tool can accommodate the nuances of embedded device software.

Scalability is important to accommodate projects of varying sizes and complexities. The SBOM tool should be able to handle the growing needs of your organization and adapt to future changes and developments​.

For example, it should allow to track SBOM approval status across multiple business units, and provide permission and access functionality across the organization.

The tool’s ease of use and intuitive design are critical for effective adoption. A user-friendly interface ensures that all team members can use the tool efficiently. This should encompass not just the SBOM lists themselves, but also any SBOM management dashboards the tool provides.

Automation features, such as automatic generation and updates of SBOMs, are essential. These features help reduce manual effort and ensure that SBOMs are always up-to-date​.

The SBOM tool should compile comprehensive information about each component, including licensing details and CPEs. This data is crucial for managing software licenses and ensuring compliance​. By enriching the data with additional data sources and matching it with SOUP lists, you can ensure the most accurate, high-fidelity SBOM.

Support for different SBOM formats, such as CycloneDX, SPDX, and CSV, is important for interoperability and ease of use. The tool should be able to produce and consume these formats effectively​, both in a machine-readable and non machine-readable manner.

Creating an SBOM list is one thing, producing regulatory reports is another. The tool should help in meeting security and compliance requirements by providing accurate and up-to-date information about components.

It should support the creation of audit-ready SBOM reports for regulators​ automatically. This will save a lot of time for multiple teams in the organization, from GRC teams to developers.

Accuracy is crucial for an SBOM tool. It should provide reliable information about components, including versions, licenses, and vulnerabilities. The tool should validate data against official sources to ensure its accuracy, such as existing SBOM files, automatically-generated SBOM files, SAST data.

It should also take into account internal development information, such as SOUP lists and other product data. That way, teams can ensure the SBOM is credible, reliable and trustworthy.

Compare the costs and licensing options of different SBOM tools. Consider the total cost of ownership and the value for money offered by each tool. One thing to note in that regard is that different tools have different pricing structures – while some charge based on the number of users, other charge based on the number of products. Assess all options to see what fits your long term goals.

Review the available support options, documentation, and the strength of the community around the tool and the company offering it. Good support and a strong community can help address issues quickly and provide valuable insights.

We saved the best for last. This is one of the most important features, as it has a direct impact on the time and resources you spend on SBOM management. The tool should be able to distinguish between actively used and unused software components, and assess the exploitability and criticality of each vulnerability, enabling prioritized security alerts.

A high-quality, reliable SBOM is comprehensive and accurate enough to make vulnerability management activities drastically more efficient in that regard.

Pairing the right SBOM tool with a robust SBOM management platform is crucial to fully realize its benefits. Platforms like Cybellum’s Product Security Platform automate the entire SBOM management process, from creation of high-fidelity SBOMs to approval and vulnerability management.

They provide seamless integration with existing workflows and data sources, continuous SBOM updates, and comprehensive security features for complex enterprise deployments.

• Choosing the right SBOM tool is essential for managing software components effectively.
• Comprehensive coverage, integration capabilities, scalability, and usability are key parameters to consider.
• Automation features, data collected, SBOM formats, and accuracy are crucial for effective SBOM management.
• Support, community, cost, and licensing options should also be considered.
• Pairing an SBOM tool with a robust management platform maximizes its value.

Selecting the best SBOM tool for your company involves evaluating multiple parameters to ensure it meets your organization’s needs. A comprehensive, accurate, and user-friendly tool enhances security, compliance, and operational efficiency. Cybellum’s Product Security Platform offers a robust solution for managing SBOMs effectively, helping organizations stay secure and compliant.

How can the scalability of an SBOM tool be assessed for a company’s needs?

Assess the tool’s ability to handle projects of varying sizes and complexities. Check if it can scale with your organization’s growth and adapt to future changes.

What are the best practices for integrating an SBOM tool with existing development tools?

Choose an SBOM tool that supports seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines, PLM, ERP, and software update systems. Ensure it supports SBOM and VEX standards like CycloneDX and SPDX.

How do different SBOM formats (CycloneDX, SPDX, CSV) impact their usability and integration?

Different SBOM formats offer varying levels of detail and compatibility. CycloneDX and SPDX are widely supported and offer comprehensive data structures, while CSV provides simplicity and ease of use. Choose a tool that supports multiple formats for greater flexibility.

What are the potential challenges or limitations of using an SBOM tool, and how can they be addressed?

Challenges include data accuracy, integration complexity, and scalability. Address these by choosing a tool that validates data against official sources, supports seamless integration, and can scale with your organization’s needs.