US, Allies Push for SBOMs to Bolster Cybersecurity

Government agencies in the US and 14 allied countries have released new guidance on the advantages of widespread adoption of Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs). The joint guidance argues that SBOM adoption improves security and reduces risks and costs by providing details on the provenance and security of software components, modules and libraries.

It highlights that SBOMs enable greater visibility across an organisation’s software supply chain, helping organisations address vulnerability management and supply chain management while supporting better licence management. The guidance also states SBOMs should be machine-processable in a widely used format and shared downstream to help organisations respond to new risks faster and more efficiently.

It notes that when all participants along the supply chain have an SBOM, the time to identify and respond to vulnerabilities can be reduced significantly, whereas without an SBOM each actor relies on upstream suppliers for notifications. Published on 4 September 2025, the guidance emphasises automation as a core component of SBOM generation, management and consumption.