What is SBOM Observer?
Overview of SBOM Observer and how it supports SBOM-centric workflows.
SBOM Observer is a platform for managing Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) and related attestations. It gives organizations clear visibility into software from vendors, open source, and internal teams, and verifies it against defined security and compliance requirements.
It is built for organizations that consume third-party software and for vendors that need to share verified SBOMs with customers.
Our goal is to make software transparency practical, verifiable, and continuous.
About
Developed by Bitfront AB, an EU-based vendor headquartered in Sweden. We are the makers of Bytesafe, a Dependency Firewall that blocks unwanted dependencies to reduce risk in your software supply chain.
SBOM Observer extends that mission with comprehensive software transparency and compliance capabilities.
Core idea
SBOM Observer connects the software supply chain into one verifiable workflow.
You can generate, analyze, enforce, prove, and share SBOMs using open standards such as CycloneDX, SPDX, VEX, and SLSA.
| Step | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Generate | Create SBOMs with the open-source Observer CLI, or ingest existing SBOMs from vendors and open source projects. |
| Analyze | Enrich SBOMs with vulnerability, license, and provenance data to pinpoint what is at risk and where it runs. |
| Enforce | Apply policies to detect or block vulnerable or non-compliant components before merge, release, or deployment. |
| Prove | Produce reports and machine-verifiable evidence for frameworks such as NIS2, DORA, CRA, and specific customer requirements. |
| Share | Publish or securely share SBOMs, VEX, and VDR documents with customers, partners, or auditors, with granular access control. |
SBOM Observer treats SBOMs as data, not documents. Each SBOM becomes part of a knowledge graph that links components, versions, provenance, and vulnerabilities.
Typical use cases
SBOM Observer supports a wide range of needs across security, compliance, visibility, and governance.
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| SBOM Management | Ingest, normalize, version, and run policy checks on SBOMs from any source. Works with CI/CD; generate with our tools or bring your own. |
| Vendor Transparency | Verify incoming vendor SBOMs and confirm software meets internal or regulatory policies before onboarding or deployment. |
| Regulatory Compliance | Automate reporting and evidence for NIS2, DORA, CRA, EO 14028, and PCI-DSS, plus sector-specific requirements. |
| Vulnerability Management | Prioritize the vulnerabilities that matter using CVSS and EPSS, and correlate them to the actual software and affected applications. |
| Open Source Security | Reduce license risk, monitor for outdated or vulnerable packages, and improve governance of open source dependencies. |
| Software Inventory | Maintain a unified inventory of in-house and third-party applications, components, and versions. |
| DevSecOps | Collaborate on components and vulnerabilities; integrate with CI/CD to enforce policies and fail builds when risks are detected. |
| M&A and Due Diligence | Accelerate software security reviews during mergers, acquisitions, and vendor onboarding with verifiable evidence. |
| Customer Assurance | Share SBOMs, VEX, and VDRs with customers to keep them informed about vulnerability impact and to meet contractual and regulatory obligations. |
Learn more in the How-to guides or explore use cases on our website.
Tools, Platform & Resources
Observer CLI
The Observer CLI generates and uploads SBOMs. It can scan source code, containers, or Kubernetes clusters, and it analyzes SBOMs for issues such as vulnerabilities or policy violations.
When policies are defined in SBOM Observer, the CLI can evaluate them locally and fail builds if violations are found.
Main capabilities:
- Generates SBOMs in CycloneDX format
- Combines multiple SCA tools for broader coverage
- Works in any CI/CD pipeline
- Free and open source for full auditability
Learn more: Observer CLI
SBOM Observer Platform
The platform provides analysis, policy enforcement, reporting, and secure sharing. It works with SBOMs from internal teams, vendors, and open source projects.
Main capabilities:
- Centralized SBOM management
- Policy engine with visual and code-based rules (OPA or JavaScript)
- Continuous vulnerability, exploitability (VEX), and license monitoring
- Support for attestations: SBOM, VEX, VDR, and SLSA provenance
- Audit and compliance reporting
- SBOM Sharing
- Deployment options: SaaS, On-Premise or Air-Gapped
Learn more: Platform | Try the live demo No signup required
SBOM.link
A free SBOM viewer and sharing tool. SBOM.link renders your SBOM as a readable page and provides a permanent link for customers and vendors.
Learn more: SBOM.link
SBOM.se
SBOM.se is a free information hub for SBOMs and the digital software supply chain, with a primary focus on Sweden and the EU. It provides clear, practical information and resources in Swedish and English.
Learn more: SBOM.se/en - English | SBOM.se - Swedish
Deployment
SBOM Observer supports multiple deployment models: SaaS, On-premise, and Air-gapped (Offline). See Deployment models for details.
Next Steps
- Get started quickly: Try the Quick start with our interactive live demo
- Explore practical guides: Browse the How-to guides for common tasks and workflows
- Learn key concepts: Check out the Concepts section to understand deployment models and policies