In today’s software-driven world, security and transparency are more critical than ever. A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) plays a key role in ensuring organizations have full visibility into the components that make up their software—helping them manage security risks, regulatory compliance, and supply chain integrity. With growing cybersecurity threats and increasing regulatory requirements, SBOMs have become essential across industries, from healthcare to government infrastructure. In this article from Website Planet, Ken Zalevsky from Vigilant Ops explains the importance of SBOMs, the challenges organizations face in managing them, and how their platform transforms SBOMs from a compliance necessity into a proactive security tool.
For those unfamiliar with the term, can you explain what SBOM is?
An SBOM, or Software Bill of Materials, is essentially a comprehensive inventory of all the components that make up a piece of software. Think of it as a detailed ingredient list for software applications—it includes all the open-source and proprietary components, dependencies, and libraries used in development.
Why is this important? Software today is built from numerous third-party and open-source components. Without visibility into these components, organizations can’t effectively manage security risks, licensing compliance, or supply chain integrity. SBOMs are now essential for cybersecurity, driven by strict FDA regulations for medical devices, which mandate greater transparency in software components, and Executive Order 14028 pushing for stronger software supply chain security across all critical infrastructure industries.
At Vigilant Ops, we take SBOMs a step further by ensuring they’re not just static documents but dynamic, actionable tools for security and compliance throughout a product’s lifecycle.
What services, benefits, and features does the Vigilant Ops Platform provide?
Vigilant Ops provides an end-to-end SBOM lifecycle management platform designed to help organizations generate, manage, analyze, and maintain SBOMs over time. Our core services and benefits include:
- Automated SBOM Generation & Management – We help organizations generate SBOMs from various sources, whether they’re developing software or assessing deployed applications.
- Vulnerability & Threat Intelligence Integration – Our platform continuously monitors SBOMs for new vulnerabilities, alerting customers to security risks in real time.
- Regulatory Compliance & Audit Readiness – Whether for FDA medical device submissions, federal government software requirements, or NIST guidelines, our platform ensures organizations meet compliance needs effortlessly.
- SBOM Validation & Consistency – Unlike some solutions that treat SBOMs as simple checkboxes for compliance, we provide continuous monitoring to ensure accuracy across different software versions and environments.
- Lifecycle Tracking & Incident Response – Because software supply chains are always evolving, we provide tools to track SBOM changes over time, so security teams can respond quickly to emerging threats.
Ultimately, Vigilant Ops helps organizations turn SBOMs from a compliance burden into a proactive cybersecurity advantage.
What are the most common challenges that customers face in managing SBOMs, and how does Vigilant Ops help them overcome these challenges?
Managing SBOMs at scale presents several challenges, but the most common ones we hear from customers include:
- Lack of Standardization & Consistency – Not all SBOMs are created equal. Different formats (e.g., SPDX, CycloneDX) and inconsistent data make it difficult for organizations to trust their SBOMs. Our platform validates SBOMs to ensure accuracy and consistency.
- Keeping SBOMs Up to Date – A common misconception is that an SBOM is a one-time document. In reality, software components and vulnerabilities change frequently. Vigilant Ops provides continuous SBOM monitoring so organizations always have up-to-date risk insights.
- Vulnerability Management – SBOMs often surface large volumes of security issues, but not all are relevant. Our platform prioritizes vulnerabilities based on exploitability and context, helping security teams focus on what truly matters.
- Regulatory & Compliance Burdens – Many industries, especially healthcare, now require detailed SBOMs for compliance. Vigilant Ops automates compliance checks, making audits and submissions seamless and stress-free.
By addressing these pain points, we enable customers to move beyond compliance and leverage SBOMs as a security and risk management asset.
How much do your approach and the solutions you provide differ based on the industry the user is in?
Our core platform remains the same, but we tailor our solutions and support based on industry-specific needs. The FDA now requires SBOMs for cybersecurity compliance in medical devices. We help medical device manufacturers ensure their SBOMs meet FDA expectations, track vulnerabilities across product lifecycles and generate compliance-ready documentation. The Vigilant Ops platform also supports government and defense, energy and critical infrastructure, and financial services sectors.
No matter the industry, our focus is on providing actionable SBOM intelligence that aligns with each sector’s unique security and compliance requirements.
To read the entire article, head over to Website Planet’s blog here.
