The Internet of Things (IoT) devices that increasingly permeate our homes, workplaces, and daily lives are only as secure as their most vulnerable components. As the adoption of these connected devices escalates, so too do concerns about their security and potential vulnerabilities within the software supply chain.
Stakeholders, including manufacturers and regulators, are turning to rigorous security testing and improved tools like the software bill of materials (SBOM) and binary analysis to enhance software supply chain transparency and manage software risks more effectively.
Figure 1 Embedded developers can generate highly accurate SBOMs to analyze components’ vulnerabilities and dependencies. Source: Finite State
SBOMs are comprehensive records that detail each software component within a product. They are critical for understanding potential vulnerabilities and dependencies that may be embedded in the software. However, not all SBOMs provide a comprehensive view into a device’s components. That’s where binary analysis comes in.
Why binary analysis?
Binary analysis forms the cornerstone of the transparency and continuous visibility needed for a robust and effective product security testing framework.
Binary analysis exposes vulnerabilities in the final software product that might not be evident during earlier testing stages, ensuring that the software delivered to consumers is as secure as possible. Binary analysis accomplishes this by allowing security teams to scrutinize the final, compiled version of the software inside connected devices, exposing vulnerabilities that emerge during the compilation process or from third-party components.
This approach provides a complete security assessment of the final software product, mitigating discrepancies between the software under test and the software consumers ultimately receive.
By providing a comprehensive view of software vulnerabilities, binary analysis ensures that connected products are as secure as possible from today’s cyber threats, providing verifiable due diligence that can build trust with regulators, manufacturers, distributors, and, ultimately, consumers.
Software transparency with SBOMs and VEX
Software transparency is critical to a comprehensive testing approach. It is essential for building trust with customers, stakeholders, and regulators. A central component of this transparency is the generation of software bill of materials (SBOMs) and Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX) for software products.
While SBOMs list a product’s software components, VEX, by comparison, provides a standardized format for communicating detailed information about vulnerabilities and their exploitability. Integrating SBOMs and VEX provides a more transparent and streamlined vulnerability reporting process. It allows faster and more effective communication of vulnerabilities and associated risks to all relevant parties.
Embracing transparency through SBOMs, binary analysis, and VEX helps ensure a comprehensive software security assessment, and fosters an environment conducive to rapid and clear communication of vulnerabilities.
This environment enables product and software supply chain security practitioners to uphold their commitment to the highest security and reliability standards in an age where security is increasingly seen not merely as a feature but as a fundamental requirement for technology products.
The global response and the need for transparency
Recent regulatory efforts in the United States and European Union highlight the growing emphasis on software supply chain security. These include the FDA’s Final Cybersecurity Guidance and the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (EU CRA). The drive toward more stringent regulations reflects a broader trend of prioritizing security by design.
Binary analysis supports these efforts by enabling deeper visibility into software components, helping companies meet and exceed, and show their commitment to these evolving regulatory standards.
The role of independent risk assessment
In recent years, U.S. policymakers have pivoted their approach to supply chain risks. Their focus, and concerns, have increasingly centered on Chinese technology firms, citing potential threats about technology security, intellectual property (IP) theft, and espionage
While several Chinese technology companies have faced enforcement actions due to national security risks and the need to secure software supply chains, others are making significant strides toward enhancing security and maintaining transparency. Some, like Quectel, have committed to continuous security improvement and have evidenced this commitment through their adoption of software supply chain testing that integrates SBOMs and binary analysis.
Companies like Quectel that adopt, follow, and promote clearer, more transparent software supply chain security standards and embrace and champion the importance of security by design will lead the charge to stronger, more resilient software security.
They will spearhead the evolution we need to protect consumers and industry from the increasing onslaught of threats to the IoT/connected device ecosystem from a variety of bad actors, both those who are state-sponsored and those who are not.
Integrating binary analysis into software supply chain security protocols
A robust security program includes multiple stages: binary analysis, integrated testing and remediation throughout the development lifecycle, manual and automated penetration testing, independent risk assessment, and comprehensive software transparency and reporting.
Each of these phases contributes to the overarching goal of securing software products throughout their lifecycle, bolstering security and transparency, while unearthing distinct categories of vulnerabilities and addressing a broad spectrum of potential security risks.
Binary analysis, in particular, ensures that vulnerabilities related to binary components are identified early and managed effectively.
Figure 2 Binary analysis exposes components vulnerabilities early in the design cycle. Source: Finite State
Leveraging developments in binary reverse engineering, automated reasoning, and other advanced techniques helps identify otherwise elusive vulnerabilities to ensure software products align with the requirements and intent of new and emerging regulation as well as industry-leading security standards and best practices.
Notably, binary analysis provides security practitioners the ability to identify and trace vulnerabilities to otherwise opaque binaries, resulting in more secure software supply chains by identifying the sources of potential threats.
A commitment to comprehensive security
Embracing binary analysis as the cornerstone of security testing ensures that companies can address the full spectrum of potential risks in software supply chains. By integrating advanced testing methods, promoting transparency through SBOMs and binary analysis, and conducting independent risk assessments, businesses, regardless of their geographical location, can demonstrate a solid commitment to security. This comprehensive approach is vital in an era where digital threats are increasingly sophisticated and pervasive.
Companies that proactively seek to prioritize transparency in their security strategies and adhere to established standards not only comply with regulations but also demonstrate a clear commitment to maintaining high-security standards.
An independent risk assessment is critical in verifying the security posture of software products. This independent evaluation helps foster trust and confidence in the security measures a company implements, assuring stakeholders, regulators, and, ultimately, consumers of the robustness and effectiveness of their security practices.
That’s an approach everyone can support.
Matt Wyckhouse—founder and CEO of Finite State—has over 15 years of experience in advanced solutions for cyber security. As the technical founder and former CTO of Battelle’s Cyber Innovations business unit, and now the CEO of Finite State, Matt has been at the forefront of tackling complex cyber security challenges across various domains, including IoT and embedded systems.
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