Software Transparency and Attestation

Software attestations represent the next evolution beyond basic SBOMs. These cryptographically signed statements verify not just what components exist, but how they were built, by whom, and under what conditions. In-toto and SLSA frameworks standardize these attestations, enabling end-to-end supply chain verification. Organizations can verify that components were built from specific source code using trusted build systems.

Runtime SBOMs dynamically generated during application execution provide ground truth about actual component usage. Unlike static SBOMs that might miss dynamically loaded components, runtime SBOMs capture exactly what runs in production. This accuracy proves invaluable for incident response and compliance verification. Container platforms increasingly support runtime SBOM generation natively.

Component pedigree tracking extends beyond current version information to include complete history. Future SCA tools will track how components evolved, who contributed code, what vulnerabilities were fixed, and how security practices changed over time. This historical context enables better risk assessment—a component with improving security practices might be preferable to one with degrading maintenance.