Roundup of Recent Federal Guidance and Requirements for Securing the Software Supply Chain

This IDC Market Note discusses the software supply chain security-related actions taken by the U.S. federal government in February and March 2024. Recent directives and initiatives by U.S. federal agencies like NIST and CISA highlight a strong emphasis on securing the software supply chain. This includes integrating security into CI/CD pipelines, securing open source software, and ensuring software developed for government use meets stringent security standards. These efforts respond to the increasing number of software supply chain attacks and aim to bolster national and economic security."The overall direction of the recent U.S. government efforts emphasizes the need for a more holistic approach to supply chain security," said Katie Norton, research manager, DevSecOps and Software Supply Chain Security at IDC. "The aim is to reduce the attack surface by implementing robust security measures across all aspects of the software development and deployment process, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive strategy to mitigate risks in the software supply chain."