Mandating Transparency: The Role of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) under the CRA
The European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is reshaping cybersecurity standards across member nations.
The CRA mandates manufacturers to incorporate a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) in formats such as CycloneDX and SPDX. This SBOM serves as an inventory of software dependencies, promoting transparency and accountability. While sharing the SBOM with entities like the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and market surveillance authorities is compulsory upon request, there is no obligation to make this information public.
The CRA covers a broad spectrum, including operating systems, network monitoring tools, and certificate issuers. However, open-source projects developed without commercial intent are exempt from these regulations, alleviating the burden on the open-source community.
The CRA serves as a model for the global standardization of secure-by-design practices, highlighting governments’ commitment to cybersecurity. This legislation represents a significant step towards fortifying digital resilience in an interconnected world.
Advocate for standardized cyber resilience practices worldwide and witness how the CRA demonstrates governmental commitment to cybersecurity. Stay tuned for updates on this legislation as it shapes the future of cybersecurity.