What Is an SBOM and Why Do You Need It for Container Image Security?
Learn how secure container images and SBOMs protect developers from open-source vulnerabilities, mitigating critical risks across the software supply chain. Ready to secure your development pipeline and stop hidden vulnerabilities before they execute? Continue reading to discover how automated supply chain tools can protect your code and streamline your next software release.
Chainguard secures the software supply chain by addressing a common yet critical blind spot in modern development. Programmers frequently integrate open-source code into their applications without realizing it contains hidden bugs and security flaws. As these vulnerable components merge into larger enterprise projects, the risks multiply and create massive security headaches for IT departments.
To solve this, Chainguard offers a library of over 2,000 open-source container images that are securely rebuilt from the ground up. These hardened environments are engineered to carry zero or near-zero Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Company data highlights a 97.6% reduction in CVEs for engineering teams utilizing their ecosystem. Recently, the platform expanded its catalog to include zero-CVE virtual machine (VM) images, giving developers even more secure building blocks for their infrastructure.
Launched in 2021, the startup has grown rapidly to meet escalating industry demand. Following a massive $356 million Series D funding round, Chainguard recently reached a valuation of $3.5 billion.
This high valuation directly reflects the urgent need for robust software supply chain security. Between 2020 and 2023, supply chain attacks surged by 1,300%, and the danger continues to escalate. A recent survey revealed that 70% of developers pull open-source software straight from public registries without scanning for malware. Add in the fact that total reported CVEs have jumped 20.6% year-over-year, and the need for proactive defense mechanisms becomes clear.
To manage these compounding risks, an increasing number of engineering teams are creating software bills of materials (SBOMs). An SBOM acts as a comprehensive inventory of every component within a specific application. If a security breach occurs, IT departments can use this list to quickly trace the vulnerability back to its exact source and neutralize the threat.
The push for automated supply chain defense has also fueled growth across the broader tech sector. Other prominent security platforms are successfully securing capital to tackle similar challenges, including Legit Security ($73 million raised), Ox Security ($94 million raised), and Snyk ($1.2 billion raised).