Securing the Backbone: Software Supply Chain Security for Critical Infrastructure

Issue #1: What is Software Supply Chain Security & Why It Matters for Critical Infrastructure?

Date: February 6, 2025

Welcome to Securing the Backbone!

Software is the backbone of critical infrastructure—but that backbone is under attack. This newsletter aims to be your go-to resource for insights, best practices, and actionable strategies to secure software supply chains in energy, finance, telecom, and other critical sectors.

?? The Big Picture: What is Software Supply Chain Security?

When we talk about supply chains, most people think of physical goods—factories, shipping routes, and logistics. But software has its own supply chain, and it's just as vulnerable to attacks.

A software supply chain includes everything involved in building, deploying, and maintaining software, such as:

? Source Code – In-house code & open-source dependencies

? Third-Party Libraries – Open-source frameworks & commercial software

? Build & CI/CD Pipelines – Automated testing & deployment systems

? Cloud & Infrastructure Providers – AWS, Azure, and on-premise systems

Every link in this chain is a potential attack vector. If one part is compromised, the entire system can be infiltrated. That’s why securing the software supply chain is now a top priority for CISOs and security teams, and why Executive Order 14028 is even more relevant today.

?? Why Critical Infrastructure is a Prime Target

Bad actors—including nation-state attackers—see critical infrastructure as high-value targets. A single vulnerability can disrupt power grids, financial markets, or telecom networks, causing economic and national security risks. Here’s why:

?? Widespread Disruptions: A software attack on an energy provider could lead to power outages affecting millions. As providers increasingly undergo smart grid transformations, reliance on software grows daily, increasing the potential attack surface.

?? Financial Impact: A cyberattack on banking systems could result in billions in losses from fraud, downtime, or ransom payments.

?? Telecom Breaches: If an attacker infiltrates a telecom provider’s software supply chain, they could access sensitive communication channels or control communication networks. Sadly, the recent revelation of Salt Typhoon attacks on major US telcos has proven the validity of this concern.

Well-known attacks like SolarWinds, Log4Shell, and the XZ Utils backdoor have exposed the vulnerabilities in software supply chains, proving that no sector is immune.

?? What Can You Do? (3 Quick Wins)

Want to strengthen your software supply chain security today? Start with these three steps:

1?? Adopt a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)

- Think of an SBOM like a nutrition label for software—**it tells you exactly what’s inside** (dependencies, libraries, versions).

2?? Enforce Zero Trust for Your Software Development Lifecycle

- Trust nothing by default. Verify everything—from code commits to build processes.

3?? Monitor & Patch Open-Source Vulnerabilities

- 75% of enterprise codebases use open-source components—many with known vulnerabilities.

- Action Item: Use ActiveState’s?industry-first Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS) to drive intelligent remediation of vulnerabilities in your codebase.

These are just the first steps—we’ll be diving deeper into each of these strategies in upcoming issues.

?? What’s Next?

Next week, we’ll break down real-world case studies—how attackers infiltrated software supply chains and what your organization can learn from them.

?? Have questions or topics you want covered? Connect with me on LinkedIn and send me a message.

?? Stay secure,

Eric Gallagher

ActiveState