Software Acquisition Guide for Government Enterprise Consumers: Software Assurance in Cyber-Supply Chain Risk Management

• The Software Acquisition Guide was developed to address core challenges in software assurance and transparency for government and enterprise consumers.
• The guide emphasizes “Secure by Demand,” where consumers demand secure software, placing accountability on suppliers rather than users.
• It includes recommendations for security practices, governance, and structured supplier communication to aid in making risk-informed acquisition decisions.

This Software Acquisition Guide by the ICT SCRM Task Force tackles the need for greater transparency and accountability in technology acquisitions, especially where cybersecurity is concerned. Traditional acquisition processes often leave consumers vulnerable, as they rely on suppliers’ limited disclosures about software development and third-party practices. With a focus on the “Secure by Design” and “Secure by Demand” principles, the guide outlines how consumers, particularly in government and enterprise settings, can drive demand for secure software and push suppliers to adopt transparent security practices from the outset.

The guide further explores how government agencies and their acquisition teams can enhance software supply chain security through specific controls and practices. Structured as a comprehensive tool, it provides detailed questions across categories like supplier governance, software supply chain, and software deployment. Each section aids in evaluating and assuring supplier practices, ensuring consumers can demand accountability and verify adherence to secure practices before, during, and after acquisition. An associated companion spreadsheet and glossary provide practical support for implementation, assisting both suppliers and acquirers in managing cybersecurity risks efficiently.

By enabling procurement teams to assess security practices more thoroughly, the guide aims to shift market behaviors. It calls for a unified demand from consumers for “secure by design” software, thus incentivizing suppliers to prioritize secure practices as a competitive advantage. Through its structured framework, the guide provides an actionable roadmap for embedding security considerations into every stage of the software lifecycle, emphasizing a collaborative approach to mitigate cybersecurity risks across the supply chain.

Read the full article