As software continues to eat the world, the software supply chain correspondingly grows as an attractive cyber attack target. Just as software powers businesses, the software supply chain powers software. A healthy supply chain enables organizations to innovate and build at unprecedented speed. However, any successful compromise of the long, intertwined chain of tools and processes used to deploy software is a massive opportunity for attackers, which means it’s a major risk for businesses. Hence, the need to protect the software supply chain at a significant cost. Or, at least, protecting the software supply chain should be a tier-one priority.
What is the Software Supply Chain?
The software supply chain is complex and sprawling and generally encompasses not just what goes into the software itself, but also the tools with which the software is built and the environments in which the software is built. What’s more, the policies and controls used to manage and monitor software are part of the supply chain; as are developer access to build, test, and deploy environments; the open-source libraries and third-party APIs used in software creation; and, of course, all the interdependencies between these elements.
Like any supply chain, understanding the entirety of the software supply chain is difficult. Anticipating and proactively addressing software-related risk requires a methodical, systematic approach, which can be hard to achieve when executives are pressing for faster deployments and developers are complaining that the issues flagged by traditional AppSec tools are too plentiful, uncontextualized, unprioritized, and devoid of clear guidance.
Nonetheless, high-profile incidents like SolarWinds, Log4Shell, and the 3CX breach remind us of just how vulnerable the supply chain can be.
As we approach 2025, securing the software supply chain has become an essential element of business resilience, not just a security nice-to-have. The growing sophistication of supply chain attacks, combined with increasing regulatory scrutiny, means organizations must adopt proactive strategies to protect their software supply chain from start to finish.
Growing Threats to Software Supply Chain Security
Risks facing the software supply chain are multifaceted. Open-source libraries, which often make up the majority of modern codebases, can harbor hidden vulnerabilities or malicious code. Complex development ecosystems that rely on a web of tools and repositories create opportunities for attackers to exploit misconfigurations or inject malware. Automated CI/CD pipelines, while vital for rapid deployment, can become infiltration points if not properly secured.
Moreover, insider threats and third-party risks compound the challenge. Contractors, vendors, and internal users with privileged access can inadvertently or maliciously compromise the integrity of the software supply chain. These risks highlight the critical need for visibility, governance, and robust security practices at every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
Why 2025 is a Turning Point in Software Security
Several trends have converged to make software supply chain security (SSCS) a defining business resilience issue in the coming year. Governments and regulatory bodies are tightening cybersecurity mandates (as seen with the U.S. Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity and the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act). Meanwhile, attackers are evolving their tactics and perfecting their techniques to target build systems, infrastructure-as-code repositories, and package managers.
Meanwhile, application security and development teams are hungry for greater efficiency and efficacy from the tools and processes they use. Too many false positives, unprioritized findings, vulnerabilities without sufficient context, and disruptive patching cycles, to name just a few, are issues that thwart progress in software supply chain security.
Nonetheless, SSCS and application security posture management (ASPM) platforms are advancing continuously to help teams tackle new challenges. The key for vendors is creating solutions that fit into software development cycles and CI/CD pipelines while pinpointing — with unquestioned accuracy — the issues that require the most attention (and, dare I say, providing the evidence). In addition, they must offer auto-remediation for simple fixes and guided recommendations for the issues DevOps and AppSec professionals choose to handle manually.
Securing the Software Supply Chain: Actionable Steps
To protect the software supply chain, organizations must adopt a multi-layered approach that integrates visibility, secure practices, and continuous monitoring into their development workflows. While tools can be helpful here, it’s also important for organizations to have an overall software supply chain risk management strategy that accompanies tools adoption and use. Lacking an agreed-upon approach to application security management will only lead to further friction and tool abandonment, and won’t move organizations closer to the positive security posture that helps keep businesses running and customers happy.
As such, AppSec and DevOps teams can use the following proactive measures to secure their software supply chains in 2025:
- Gain complete visibility: Use automation and integrated software and application security platforms to build a comprehensive inventory of every element of the software supply chain, including open-source libraries, APIs, container images, and cloud configurations.
- Enforce secure development practices: Visibility alone is insufficient; without secure development processes, organizations will be sitting on a pile of unremediated vulnerabilities that expose them to a likelihood of attack. Static and dynamic testing tools (SAST and DAST) integrated into CI/CD pipelines help security and development teams identify vulnerabilities early in the development process, while peer code reviews and secure coding standards reduce the probability of new vulnerabilities. Automation can help ensure these processes don’t slow development yet help teams maintain a high standard of security.
- Protect CI/CD pipelines: Securing the CI/CD pipelines is a must in 2025. Security teams must implement least-privilege access controls, enforce artifact signing, and monitor for anomalies to prevent attackers from compromising automated workflows.
- Strengthen dependency management: Beyond the pipeline, effective dependency management is paramount. Teams must keep dependencies up to date and source them from trusted repositories. Regular third-party code audits can uncover hidden vulnerabilities and outdated components that may expose the application to risk.
- Continuously monitor and respond: Continuous monitoring plays a pivotal role in maintaining supply chain security over time. Real-time threat intelligence combined with incident response planning ensures teams are prepared to respond swiftly to new threats.
- Foster cross-team collaboration: Reducing the friction between AppSec, DevOps, and operations teams allows organizations to manage risks before they become threats. Application security posture management (ASPM) platforms streamline vulnerability management, break down silos, and provide a centralized, contextualized, and prioritized view of the application vulnerability landscape.
Looking Ahead
As the software supply chain continues to expand, so too, do the risks that threaten its integrity. In 2025, organizations must prioritize supply chain security as a strategic business resilience initiative. Protecting the supply chain means protecting the applications, customers, and businesses that depend on it.
By embracing visibility, adopting secure practices, and fostering collaboration, companies can mitigate risks and build resilient systems that withstand the application attack surface ahead. Securing the supply chain is no longer a choice — it’s the foundation of a secure, innovative future.
Take action today: Learn how OX Security can help safeguard your software supply chain with end-to-end protection and automated risk management.
)
