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Dec 19

OpenSSF Newsletter – December 2024

By Newsletter

Welcome to the December 2024 edition of the OpenSSF Newsletter! Here’s a roundup of the latest developments, key events, and upcoming opportunities in the Open Source Security community.

Thank You for an Amazing 2024!

OpenSSFAnnualReport

As 2024 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for the dedication, collaboration, and innovation you have brought to the OpenSSF community this year. Together, we achieved remarkable milestones—from expanding our global membership and launching impactful education initiatives to advancing critical security projects and fostering collaborations with public and private sectors. Your contributions have strengthened our shared mission to secure the open source ecosystem and build a safer, more reliable digital future.

As we look forward to 2025, we’re excited to continue fostering a vibrant and inclusive community, deepening collaborations, and driving meaningful change together. We appreciate your role in this journey.

Wishing you a safe and joyful holiday season!

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The Open Source Software Stewards and Manufacturers Workshop and the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)

In December, the Linux Foundation Europe and the OpenSSF hosted the Open Source Software Stewards and Manufacturers Workshop in Amsterdam, focusing on the implications of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The event brought together industry leaders, community experts, and government officials to align on CRA obligations and foster collaboration for compliance.

Key outcomes included the formation of the Global Cyber Policy Working Group and three workstreams: CRA Readiness & Awareness, CRA Tooling & Processes, and CRA Standardization.

Details on how to participate and learn more:

Understanding the CRA: OpenSSF’s Role in the Cyber Resilience Act Implementation – Part 1

UnderstandingCRA1

Published as Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) entered into force (EIF) on December 10, 2024. The CRA will fully apply three years later, on December 11, 2027. The CRA will obligate all products with digital elements, including their remote data processing, put on the European market to follow this regulation. This new blog series will cover the implementation of the CRA and its relevance to open source software.

In Part 1, we will provide a general overview of the CRA and highlight LF Europe and the OpenSSF’s current activities in relation to the implementation.

Learn more

Understanding the CRA: OpenSSF’s Role in the Cyber Resilience Act Implementation – Part 2

CRABlog2
In Part 1, we provided a general overview of the CRA and highlighted OpenSSF’s current activities related to its implementation. In Part 2, we’ll take a closer look at the three-year implementation timeline and what lies ahead. 

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Shaping the Future of Generative AI: A Focus on Security

GenAIstudy

The Shaping the Future of Generative AI report, sponsored by LF AI & Data and CNCF, highlights how organizations prioritize security, cost, and performance as they adopt GenAI. Security remains a top concern, particularly in sectors like finance and healthcare, where privacy and regulatory compliance are critical.

The Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) AI/ML Working Group plays a vital role in this landscape, focusing on initiatives like model signing with Sigstore to enhance trust and security in AI systems. This blog ties together insights from the report and OpenSSF’s ongoing efforts to address security challenges in GenAI adoption.

Open Source Usage Trends and Security Challenges Revealed in New Study

Census III Report

The Linux Foundation and Harvard released Census III, a groundbreaking study analyzing Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) usage and security challenges. Findings reveal trends like the rise of cloud-specific packages, increased reliance on Rust, and the critical role of a small group of contributors.

Learn more

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Honda and Guidewire Join the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF)


At the inaugural SOSS Community Day India, OpenSSF welcomed Honda and Guidewire Software as new members, expanding its growing global network to 126 organizations. The event highlights India’s thriving open source ecosystem and brings together leaders to collaborate on securing the software we all depend on.

Learn more

SigstoreCon 2024: Advancing Software Supply Chain Security

SigstoreCon

On November 12, 2024, the software security community gathered in Salt Lake City for SigstoreCon: Supply Chain Day, co-located with KubeCon North America 2024. The one-day conference brought together developers, maintainers, and security experts to explore how Sigstore is transforming software supply chain security through simplified signing and verification of digital artifacts.

Read more

News from OpenSSF Community Meetings and Projects:

In the News:

Meet OpenSSF at These Upcoming Events!

You’re invited to…

See You Next Year! 

We want to get you the information you most want to see in your inbox. Have ideas or suggestions for next month’s newsletter about the OpenSSF? Let us know at marketing@openssf.org, and see you in 2025! 

Regards,

The OpenSSF Team

Nov 26

OpenSSF Newsletter – November 2024

By Newsletter

Welcome to the November 2024 edition of the OpenSSF Newsletter! Here’s a roundup of the latest developments, key events, and upcoming opportunities in the Open Source Security community.

The SOSS Fusion 2024 Playlist is Live!

Catch up on the highlights from SOSS Fusion 2024, The Conference for Secure Open Source Software with the full YouTube playlist. Explore keynotes, technical sessions, and workshops from industry leaders like Dan Lorenc and Cory Doctorow. Discover actionable insights and tools to secure open source software.

📺 Watch now: SOSS Fusion 2024 YouTube Playlist

Secure Your Software Supply Chain with Abhisek Datta

Join us for an insightful webinar, Policy, Security, and the Software Supply Chain, featuring security expert Abhisek Datta on November 27 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. This event is hosted in the lead-up to SOSS Community Day, India, co-located with KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India 2024.

Mark your calendars and register today!

Join us in Delhi for SOSS Community Day India on December 10, 2024, co-located with KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India

Hosted by the OpenSSF, this event will bring together open source security enthusiasts to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge. Whether you’re an industry leader or a passionate technologist, this is your opportunity to dive deep into the latest open source security trends, learn from experts, and network with the vibrant open source community. Don’t miss out—register today and be part of the conversation on securing open source software!

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2025 Virtual Tech Talk Call for Proposal (CFP)

We are excited to invite proposals for the 2025 Virtual Tech Talk Series, providing a platform for in-depth discussions on critical initiatives to secure open source software within the OpenSSF community. These tech talks are designed to foster knowledge sharing, highlight innovative technical projects, and showcase efforts driving the future of open source security.

Have a topic or expertise you’d like to share? Submit your Call for Proposals (CFP) by December 13, 2024, to ensure ample time for review and planning. This is your chance to contribute, connect with peers, and inspire others in the field.

Submit your CFP

Case Study: Kusari’s Implementation of OpenSSF Tools and Services


Kusari has tackled software supply chain challenges like transparency and inefficiencies by integrating OpenSSF tools such as AllStar, Scorecard, and GUAC, while adopting open standards like SLSA and OpenVEX. These solutions have enhanced their ability to manage risks and contribute actively to the OpenSSF community.

“Participating in open source communities allows us to shape the future of software supply chain technology,” says Parth Patel, Kusari’s Co-founder.

➡️ Read more about Kusari’s journey and the tools they use.

October was Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

CybersecurityMonth
This year, the focus was on collective action across sectors to enhance cybersecurity resilience. Organizations prioritized OSS governance, developers adopted secure coding practices, and academic institutions prepared the next generation of professionals—all contributing to safer digital ecosystems.

OpenSSF supported these efforts with resources like Developing Secure Software (LFD121) and events like SOSS Fusion, which fostered collaboration and knowledge sharing.

➡️ Read more about how we worked together to stay secure and informed.

OpenSSF Adds Minder as a Sandbox Project to Simplify the Integration and Use of Open Source Security Tools

Minder, contributed by Stacklok, simplifies the integration and use of open source security tools through a policy-based approach that spans the entire software development lifecycle. With features like noise reduction, auto-remediation, and integration with OpenSSF tools such as Sigstore, Minder empowers organizations to strengthen their security posture.

➡️ Explore Minder and see how it enhances open source security.

OpenSSF Expands Secure Development Course with Interactive Labs


The Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) has enhanced its free “Developing Secure Software” course (LFD121) with hands-on labs and interactive activities. These new features provide developers with practical techniques to counter modern cyberattacks, improving engagement and knowledge retention.

With over 25,000 enrollments globally, this course offers a comprehensive learning experience covering secure design principles, implementation, and verification techniques. Developers can earn a completion certificate and access optional browser-based labs for an immersive learning experience.

➡️ Enroll in LFD121 and start building secure software today!

OpenSSF Welcomes New Members and Introduces New Initiatives at SOSS Community Day Japan

At SOSS Community Day Japan, OpenSSF celebrated its growing community with the addition of new members, including Arm, embraceable AI, Fujitsu, Ruby Central, and Trifecta Tech, furthering its mission to secure open source software.

In a recent press release, OpenSSF also announced new initiatives: Minder, a sandbox project simplifying security tool integration; bomctl, enhancing SBOM management; and Zarf, enabling secure software delivery in air-gapped environments.

➡️ Read more about our new members and initiatives.

 

Red Hat’s Collaboration with the OpenSSF and OSV.dev Yields Results: Red Hat Security Data Now Available in the OSV Format

RedHat'sCollaborationwithOpenSSF

Red Hat has partnered with OpenSSF and Google’s OSV.dev to make its security data available in the OSV format. This enhances transparency, accessibility, and integration with tools like OSV-Scanner, supporting better vulnerability management.

➡️ Learn more about this collaboration.

 

How We Can Learn from Open Source Software to Address the Challenges of AI

How_We_Can_Learn_from_Open_Source_Software_to_Address_the_Challenges_of_AI

AI models bring transformative potential but also risks like deepfakes, bias, and misuse. Drawing from open source principles, we can address these challenges by fostering collaboration across industry, academia, and government, securing the AI supply chain, and building “secure by default” models.

OpenSSF’s work with agencies like CISA offers a roadmap for leveraging open source security principles to improve the safety and reliability of open foundation models.

➡️ Read how open source lessons can shape a secure AI future.

 

The OpenSSF Armored Goose “Honk”: Advancing Open Source Security

ArmouredGooseHonk

The Open Source Security Foundation’s (OpenSSF) logo features “Honk,” an armored goose holding a shield, embodying the foundation’s mission to protect open source software. Representing adaptability, resilience, and teamwork, Honk symbolizes the innovative approaches OpenSSF employs to enhance security in the open source ecosystem.

Discover the story behind Honk and how OpenSSF champions collaboration and defense in open source security.

➡️ Learn more about Honk and join the mission.

In the News

Meet OpenSSF at These Upcoming Events!

Get Involved in OpenSSF

You’re invited to…

See You Next Month

We want to get you the information you most want to see in your inbox. Have ideas or suggestions for next month’s newsletter about the OpenSSF? Let us know at marketing@openssf.org, and see you next month! 

Regards,

The OpenSSF Team

Oct 24

Case Study: Kusari’s Implementation of OpenSSF Tools and Services

By Blog, Case Studies

Challenge

For many years, the software supply chain has suffered from a lack of transparency and inefficient, unsustainable security management methods such as spreadsheets, emails, and word of mouth. The severity of these challenges was highlighted during incidents like Log4Shell, where the limitations of these approaches became evident — organizations struggled to identify where Log4J was used, and many applications continue to use vulnerable versions of this library years later. Meanwhile, the costs and regulatory requirements of attacks and vulnerabilities continue to increase. The founders of Kusari, driven by their passion and personal experiences with these problems, sought to create scalable and robust security solutions for their customers and users.

Solution

To address these challenges, Kusari created and co-developed the tool GUAC (Graph for Understanding Artifact Composition). GUAC integrates data from various OpenSSF tools and specifications to secure Kusari’s platform software and infrastructure. Kusari uses AllStar to enforce best practices for source code repositories and Scorecard to assess repositories for best practice adherence and highlight areas of concern. By adopting SLSA (Supply Chain Levels for Software Artifacts), Kusari follows Level 3 practices for building projects and generating provenance. OpenVEX is used to communicate the vulnerability status of software, while S2C2F (Supply-Chain Levels for Secure Commercial Facilities) ensures rules are followed for safely ingesting open source software. GUAC aggregates data from multiple sources like Scorecard, SLSA, OpenVEX, SBOM, OSV, and deps.dev to analyze supply chain risks and ensure compliance with S2C2F rules.

According to Parth Patel, Co-founder & Chief Product Officer at Kusari, “Working with OpenSSF projects is an invaluable part of building Kusari – both as a company and an enterprise platform. Participating in open source communities allows us to shape the future of software supply chain technology. The work we invest in OpenSSF communities pays off in having reliable software tools to build and integrate with the security ecosystem.”

Results

The implementation of these tools has significantly enhanced Kusari’s ability to manage and mitigate software supply chain risks. The adoption of open specifications like SLSA, S2C2F, and OpenVEX allows Kusari to generate and consume supply chain data that is broadly supported in the community. Tools like AllStar, Scorecard, and Sigstore help enforce best practices in code, build, and delivery processes. GUAC enables Kusari to ingest and analyze standardized metadata from multiple OpenSSF tools, providing a clear understanding of supply chain risks and facilitating quick responses to security incidents.

Engagement with OpenSSF Community

Kusari engages with the OpenSSF community in various capacities, including as maintainers and users of AllStar, GUAC, and SLSA, and as TAC sponsors for GitTUF, SBOMit, and S2C2F. This engagement is a way for us to innovate and give back within the open source community. Kusari is committed to helping shape and develop the future of software supply chain security. You can regularly find us in meetings with the Supply Chain Integrity Working Group; come join in. 

Benefits and Challenges

Open specifications and tools provide flexibility for integration and modification, ensuring better interoperability. Security has a long history of being closed and vendor-centric, but that’s changing. Collaboration is required to protect effectively against current and future threats. That’s why Kusari is passionate about being a creator, maintainer, contributor and user of open source security tools. 

Striking a balance between vendor support and community-driven efforts is crucial for sustainable success in open source projects. Arun Gupta, vice president and general manager of Open Ecosystem Initiatives at Intel and OpenSSF governing board chair emphasizes, “It’s vital that we foster collaboration between vendors and the open source community in a collaborative manner that respects the community. This balance is key to achieving a secure software ecosystem.”

Future Plans

Kusari plans to adopt additional OpenSSF tools such as GitTUF as they mature and looks forward to developments from SBOMit.

Conclusion

Kusari’s integration of OpenSSF tools and specifications has significantly bolstered its software supply chain security, providing scalable and efficient solutions for managing vulnerabilities. Through active participation in the OpenSSF community, Kusari continues to contribute to and benefit from the evolving landscape of open source security.

 

We envision a future where OSS is universally trusted, secure, and reliable. Join us in making open source more secure.

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