Software composition analysis (SCA) tools enables users to analyze and manage the open-source elements of their applications. Companies and developers use SCA tools to verify licensing and assess vulnerabilities associated with each of their applications’ open-source components. More robust than vulnerability scanner software, SCA tools automatically scan all open-source components to check for policy and license compliance, security risks, and version updates. SCA software also provides insights for remedying identified vulnerabilities, usually within the reports generated after a scan.
Companies and developers often use SCA tools in conjunction with static code analysis software, which scans the code behind their applications as opposed to the open-source components.
To qualify for inclusion within the Software Composition Analysis (SCA) category, a product must:
Automatically track and analyze an application’s open source-components
Identify component vulnerabilities, licensing and compliance issues, and version updates
Provide insight into vulnerability remediation