Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is an important practice in modern software development, enabling teams to manage and secure the open-source components within their applications. By effectively utilizing SCA tools, such as SOOS’s Software Composition Analysis, you can identify vulnerabilities, ensure license compliance, and maintain the integrity of your software to avoid costly security, business, and performance risks. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of SCA scanning and offers actionable steps to maximize the benefits of your SCA tool.
What is SCA Scanning?
SCA scanning involves analyzing your software’s codebase to inventory all open-source and third-party components. This process identifies potential security vulnerabilities, licensing issues, and quality concerns associated with these components, which is particularly important given that 98% of codebases use open source software. For modern applications, SCA scanning is essential for maintaining a secure and compliant software environment.
What to Look for in a SCA Tool
There are several software composition analysis tools available, and what works best for you is going to depend on your organization. That said, when evaluating a Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tool, consider the following key factors:
1. Vulnerability Detection and Database Coverage
Businesses that implement SCA tools without comprehensive vulnerability detection are exposing themselves to unnecessary risk. Ensure the tool you select can identify all dependencies, including those deep in your application’s dependency tree, and has coverage for the programming languages you use. In addition, look for real-time updates to ensure you’re able to detect the latest security threats as quickly as possible.
2. License Compliance and Risk Management
Ensure the SCA tool you select detects open-source licenses and flags non-compliant or risky licenses (e.g. GPL restrictions) in addition to open source software vulnerabilities. This is essential because it’ll help you avoid costly rework down the road or license conflicts that are difficult to identify when license management is done manually. A good software composition analysis tool automated software vulnerability detection and open source software license compliance so you can be sure your code is secure and compliant. Furthermore, the ability to set custom policies for license usage can help both mitigate legal risks and maintain compliance across a team of developers. Tools like SOOS’s application security platform allow you to apply business rules at an organization level so developers don’t have to think about which licenses are okay or not, they simply run a scan and either get the all-clear or get notified of any issues they need to resolve before they commit their code.
3. Ease of Integration
An effective SCA tool should seamlessly integrate with CI/CD Pipelines like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab, and Azure DevOps, as well as Ticketing Systems like JIRA and GitHub Issues so that software development teams can scan their code from within their build pipeline and automatically push issues into their issue managers to be worked and resolved together, reducing overall work and ensuring consistency with overall development practices. The less developers have to do differently than they normally would, the better! Even better, for larger organizations especially, having API access to integrate software composition analysis capabilities directly into your environment is key, and a feature SOOS offers.
4. Speed and Performance
Some tools can slow down development; a good SCA tool should be fast and efficient, minimizing disruptions while still providing deep scans.
5. Remediation and Fix Suggestions
Look for tools that not only detect vulnerabilities but also suggest fixes (e.g. update versions and recommend alternative dependencies).
6. Reporting and Compliance Support
Features like Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) generation are crucial for regulatory compliance (e.g. ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR). Good SCA tools provide clear and actionable reports for security teams, developers, and auditors to easily see and verify software inventory, as well as access historical point-in-time reports for in depth troubleshooting and issue analysis if needed.
7. Cost and Fee Model
Some SCA tools charge per scan, per developer, or based on usage. Understanding pricing and scalability is essential. Look for transparent pricing that aligns with your team’s needs and if you want to set yourself up to catch as many issues as possible, use a tool with unlimited scanning so your developers don’t have to limit how often they scan, but rather can integrate scanning into their build process and scan every time code is ready to commit.
8. Onboarding and Customer Support
Look for a SCA tool that you can set up yourself, as a barometer of how complex maintaining it might be. Tools you can’t try, and then set up yourself are likely less easy to use than tools that are built with ease of use in mind. Anything that can impact team adoption is a major consideration, as SCA tools are only effective if they’re used universally and consistently. In addition, ensure whatever tool you choose is backed by dedicated customer support so if there are issues or you need help understanding advanced features, you can rely on being able to talk to someone when needed. In the ever changing world of application security, you simply don’t want to have to rely on a knowledge base to contain the latest and greatest information.
To see SOOS’s Software Composition Analysis capabilities in action, watch this 3 minute demo or start a free trial.
How Often Should I Scan My Code?
Incorporating SCA scans into your CI/CD pipeline ensures that every code change is analyzed for potential vulnerabilities. This practice enables early detection and remediation of issues, reducing the risk of security breaches and compliance violations. Regular scanning fosters a proactive security culture and maintains the integrity of your software.
What Should I Do If Issues Are Detected?
Upon detection of vulnerabilities or policy violations:
1. Assess the Severity: Determine the impact of the identified issues on your application and prioritize them accordingly. SOOS helps you do this automatically by configuring business rules upfront and prioritizing issues using multiple criteria like severity and potential impact.
2. Consult Remediation Guidance: Leverage SOOS’s remediation suggestions to understand the steps required to resolve each issue.
3. Implement Fixes: Update or replace affected components as necessary, ensuring that changes are tested and validated before deployment.
4. Document Actions: Maintain records of identified issues and the measures taken to address them for future reference and compliance purposes. SOOS also does this automatically by integrating Software Composition Analysis and SBOM Manager capabilities in one platform.
How SCA Saves You Time and Money
Integrating SCA scanning into your development process is likely to introduce additional issue remediation work upfront, potentially slowing down your team’s workflow for a few months. However, after the initial learning period, using SCA as part of your software development process yields significant long-term benefits including:
1. Early Issue Detection: Identifying and addressing vulnerabilities early in the development cycle prevents costly fixes and potential security incidents post-deployment.
2. License Compliance: Ensuring adherence to open-source licenses mitigates legal risks and associated expenses, as well as costly rework required when issues are missed upfront and have been live for a period of time.
3. Enhanced Code Quality: Regular SCA scans contribute to the overall robustness and reliability of your software, reducing maintenance efforts over time.
By embracing SCA, you can establish a strong security foundation, leading to more efficient development cycles and reduced operational costs in the long term. Try SOOS for free and see for yourself how easy it is.
What Sets SOOS Apart from Other SCA Tools?
Development teams love SOOS because they get:
1. Comprehensive Scanning: with SOOS, find vulnerabilities that others tools miss. SOOS looks deep in your application’s dependency tree with patented SCA and first-of-its-kind deep-tree scanning for all major languages.
2. Unlimited Scans: Many SCA solutions limit the number of users or charge extra for more scans. SOOS provides unlimited users and unlimited SCA scans, ensuring teams can fully secure their software without additional costs.
3. Affordable, Fixed Pricing: Unlike other SCA tools that charge per seat or scan, SOOS offers flat-rate pricing, making it cost-effective for teams of all sizes.
4. Broad Integration Support: SOOS seamlessly integrates with developer tools like CI/CD tools and issue managers without requiring complex setup. In addition, API access allows for further integration into your business’s environment.
5. Advanced Policy Management: SOOS enables teams to set policies for licenses, dependencies, and security risk levels, ensuring compliance before issues arise.
6. Fast and Lightweight Scanning: Unlike some SCA tools that drastically slow down builds, SOOS prioritizes high-speed scanning to minimize developer disruptions.
7. Streamlined Issue Remediation: SOOS doesn’t just detect issues; it also provides remediation suggestions to help developers quickly resolve vulnerabilities.
8. Comprehensive SBOM Support: SOOS automatically generates Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) to meet regulatory requirements and make it easier to manage and maintain software inventory.
By focusing on comprehensiveness, configurability, affordability, and ease of use, SOOS is the best all-around Application Security tool, offering a strong alternative to expensive and complex tools like Snyk, Checkmarx, Mend, Aikido, and Black Duck.
