Four takeaways from the NSA's software supply chain security recommendations

The Enduring Security Framework (ESF) published a guidance document for securing the software supply chain in late August. While it emphasizes application security activities, it lacks practical software supply chain security guidance. The ESF's recommendations are advisory and not legally binding. The document focuses on having an application security program but offers rigid guidance for Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) elements. It also overlooks several important software supply chain security activities such as anomalous developer behavior detection, scanning for hardcoded secrets, and minimal access to code maintenance. The ESF's solutions are considered outdated and inefficient compared to advanced frictionless solutions being developed by companies like Arnica.