Modern software development needs a number of components. These components are developed by different persons or companies. As a chain is only as strong as the weakest link, the software is only as secure as the least secure component used in it. This requires Software Composition Analysis to be incorporated into the general cybersecurity strategy.
What is Software Composition Analysis?
Software Composition analysis is the practice of verifying the compatibility and security of the components of the software in order to make sure that the whole thing works in a seamless and secure way.
Software composition analysis works by checking the various components of software against a set of standards. This can be done manually but that is a very inefficient approach. Software composition analysis tools make this process more reliable and efficient.
Software Composition Analysis Tools
Software composition analysis tools automate the process and are less prone to errors than humans. Here are some of the top Software composition analysis tools that you can use to check any software for compatibility and security issues.
Using software compositions analysis tools is the better approach because:
- It speeds up the software development process.
- The chances of error are significantly lower than with manually testing the code.
- These tools have databases of vulnerabilities and can find any vulnerability that has previously been reported.
- They also suggest how to rectify a certain error.
- They can check your software in real-time as it is being developed and rectify the errors as and when they surface.
1.White Source
White Source is a leading solution for license compliance management and open source security. It works with the DevOps pipeline and runs real-time detection of insecure open source libraries. It significantly decreases the time needed to fix the issues it has detected by providing policy automation and remediation paths. It takes into account the usage analysis to prioritize vulnerability alerts.
The white source can work with more than 200 programming languages and claims to have the most extensive vulnerability database.
The price of this tool starts from $4,000 a year.
2.GitLab
This is a comprehensive DevOps platform. It comes with continuous integration and a continuous delivery toolchain. You can control all aspects of development from one interface using this solution. It transforms the way development, ops, and security integration into the software development life cycle. With Gitlab time tracking integration, it’s also possible to measure the time spent on each project.
It not only ensure security but also reduces the time taken for development and can help in cutting down development costs.
It has a sophisticated source code management system that makes coordination, collaboration, and sharing across the software development team easier. It helps the team to
- Track and merge branches.
- Audit changes.
- Enable concurrent work.
- Accelerate the development process.
- Review the code.
- Discuss changes.
- Identify defects in the code.
It starts at rather a humble pricing of $4/month per user.
3.Fossa
This is the perfect Software composition analysis tool for developers who rely mainly on third-party code. It is the leading solution for finding out vulnerabilities and license compliance in open source components. It makes it easier to manage open source dependencies by automating end-to-end workflows. It can be deeply integrated with your tools and code even if they are on the cloud or behind a firewall.
This software composition analysis tool is used by industry leaders like Docker and Verizon media.
The cost of this software composition analysis tool starts at $230/month/5developers.
4.JFrog
If you want to detect license violations and security vulnerabilities in the initial phases of software development, this is the tool for that. It automatically inspects and audits software components and dependencies throughout the SDLC in real-time. Its database is continuously updated and contains all the latest threats.
Additional functionality of this tool includes:
- Deep recursive scanning of all software components.
- Drilling down to analyze all dependencies.
- Graphical representation of the relationship between different software components.
- Impact analysis detailing the effects of a defect in one of the components on the software as a whole.
The pricing for this software composition analysis tool starts from $98. There is also a free version available with basic functionality.
5.BluBracket
This is one of the most comprehensive security solutions for enterprises. It looks into the code and points out where exactly a vulnerability is. The best feature of this software composition analysis tool is that it does not interfere with the development process.
One of the most important insights that it provides is that it tells where else a component of your code is being used. You can get the complete chain of custody and audit compliance information of any code component in just a single click.
All those qualities come at a price of $2,500 a month.
6.Debricked
Debricked claims to minimize the risk software companies have in using open source components. The number of such companies is huge. More than 90% of software developers use open-source components.
Open source components do increase the efficiency and speed of software development but are a major security risk. Debricked aims to retain the convenience offered by open source while minimizing the security threats. It uses state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms to deliver excellent protection while keeping the risks low.
The pricing starts at $25/month/user.
Conclusion
Software development uses a lot of open source components. The trouble with open source components is that they are available to all the world, including hackers (especially hackers). Anyone can exploit a vulnerability in the open-source components and any software using it can then be compromised.
The way around this is software composition analysis. This is the process of verifying and rectifying the security status of various components used in the software. This can either be done manually or using a software composition analysis tool. Some of the best tools for this purpose are discussed here. Let us know which one of them you think is the best.
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