🛠️ Open Source, Secure by Design
By James K. Bishop, vCISO | Founder, Stage Four Security
🔍 What This Series Covers
Open source powers the modern software ecosystem—but every public package, dependency, or contributor introduces potential exposure. This series unpacks the unique risks and responsibilities of using, maintaining, and building with open source code.
We go beyond SBOM buzzwords to focus on risk modeling, trusted build pipelines, vulnerability management, open source governance, and what security looks like when the developer isn’t on your payroll.
📚 Featured Topics
- Dependency hygiene: Managing third-party libraries and transitive risk
- Vulnerability awareness: CVE monitoring, patching, and prioritization
- SBOMs and compliance: Software Bills of Materials in regulated environments
- CI/CD integrity: Securing the build path that links internal and open components
- Malicious packages: Typosquatting, repo poisoning, and countermeasures
- Contributing securely: Hardening open source projects you publish or maintain
- Open source governance: Policies, licenses, and legal implications
- Real-world incidents: From SolarWinds to Event-Stream and PyTorch-nightmare
📖 Articles in This Series
📦 Beyond the Repo: Understanding Open Source Dependency Risk
Unpack the hidden risks in public packages, including nested dependencies, abandoned libraries, and ecosystem trust.
🧾 SBOMs Demystified: The Security Value of Software Bills of Materials
Learn how to build, manage, and leverage SBOMs for transparency, compliance, and rapid response.
☣️ Malicious Packages in the Wild: Detecting and Defending Against Repo Poisoning
Explore real-world examples of open source attacks and how to build tooling and policy to reduce exposure.
🔗 CI/CD Supply Chain Security: Guarding the Build Pipeline
Secure your software factory with controls for pipeline integrity, secret handling, and third-party injection prevention.
📘 Open Source Governance: Policies, Licensing, and Trust Boundaries
Build internal policy around open source use, contributions, maintenance, and license obligations.
🛠️ Securing the Code You Share: Best Practices for Open Source Publishers
Learn how to protect your own open source projects from abuse, compromise, or reputation damage.
📣 Final Thought
Open source isn’t free when it comes to risk. By adopting clear governance, monitoring strategies, and secure tooling, teams can use open ecosystems without opening new attack surfaces.
Need help auditing your open source footprint or securing your SDLC? Let’s talk.