Log4j, a recent security issue, has brought software supply chain security to the forefront, prompting even the White House to address it. Despite the growing awareness of the importance of a secure software supply chain, many enterprises are still struggling to implement effective strategies.
Key Takeaway
Software supply chain security poses significant challenges for enterprises, with the increasing number of vulnerabilities and the complexities of collaboration between buyers and vendors impacting efficiency and development processes.
The Growing Challenge
The number of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) continues to rise steadily, with vulnerabilities found in almost every container. Even libraries that are not used in production may contain vulnerabilities, adding to the complexity of the issue.
Struggles with Vulnerability Remediation
According to Slim.ai’s Container Report, organizations deploy over 50 containers from vendors every month on average, yet only 12% of security leaders are able to meet their vulnerability remediation goals. The rest are facing significant challenges in this area, with disagreements between vendors and buyers on which CVEs need patching.
Challenges in Collaboration
Despite the push for improved security measures, the interaction between buyers and vendors still relies heavily on manual processes such as exchanging spreadsheets and ad hoc meetings. Slim.ai’s report reveals that 75% of organizations still use these methods, despite 84% of security leaders expressing a need for a centralized collaboration platform.
Impact on Efficiency
These challenges lead to inefficiencies, with organizations employing multiple specialists for vulnerability remediation. More than 40% of the alerts received by these teams are false positives, contributing to delays in the development process. The need to address vulnerabilities in production containers leads to frequent disruptions and increased effort in working with vendors to resolve issues.
