Third-Party Component Management Policy (ENG-POL-006)
1. Objective
The objective of this policy is to establish comprehensive requirements for the secure management of third-party libraries, frameworks, components, and DevOps tools throughout the software development lifecycle at [Company Name]. This policy ensures that third-party dependencies are properly assessed, monitored, and maintained to minimize security risks, protect electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), and maintain compliance with HIPAA, HITECH, and SOC 2 requirements. By implementing rigorous third-party component governance and DevOps security practices, [Company Name] reduces supply chain risks and ensures the integrity of its development and deployment processes.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all [Company Name] workforce members involved in software development, infrastructure management, and DevOps activities, including developers, architects, DevOps engineers, security engineers, and system administrators. It encompasses all third-party components including open source libraries, commercial software components, frameworks, APIs, infrastructure-as-code templates, CI/CD tools, and development dependencies. This policy covers the entire lifecycle of third-party component management from selection and assessment through deployment, monitoring, and retirement across all development environments and production systems.
3. Policy
[Company Name] shall implement comprehensive governance and security controls for all third-party components used in software development and deployment processes to ensure supply chain security, minimize vulnerabilities, and maintain the integrity of systems and data.
3.1 Third-Party Component Management
Security assessment and management of third-party libraries, frameworks, and components shall be implemented throughout the development process.
3.1.1 Dependency Scanning and Management
- Automated Dependency Scanning:
- Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools shall scan all third-party dependencies
- Vulnerability databases shall be continuously updated to identify newly discovered issues
- Build processes shall fail if critical vulnerabilities are detected in dependencies
- License compliance scanning shall ensure proper usage of open source components
- Dependency inventory shall be maintained for all applications and systems
- Vendor Component Assessment:
- Commercial third-party components shall undergo security assessment before adoption
- Vendor security practices and incident response capabilities shall be evaluated
- Source code review requirements for critical commercial components
- Escrow agreements for critical vendor components to ensure continued access
- End-of-life planning for vendor components approaching obsolescence
3.1.2 Open Source Security Management
- Open Source Governance:
- Approved list of open source components and frameworks shall be maintained
- Security review process for introducing new open source dependencies
- Regular assessment of open source component security status
- Community support and maintenance status evaluation
- Legal review of open source licenses and compliance requirements
- Vulnerability Response:
- Immediate assessment of newly disclosed vulnerabilities in used components
- Emergency patching procedures for critical vulnerabilities
- Alternative component identification for unmaintained or insecure libraries
- Coordinated disclosure participation for vulnerabilities discovered in open source projects
3.1.3 Component Lifecycle Management
- Component Selection Criteria:
- Security track record and vulnerability history assessment
- Community or vendor support quality and responsiveness evaluation
- License compatibility and legal compliance verification
- Technical compatibility and performance impact analysis
- Maintenance status and long-term viability assessment
- Approval and Documentation:
- Formal approval process for new third-party components
- Security assessment documentation for approved components
- Dependency mapping and architecture impact analysis
- Risk assessment and mitigation strategies documentation
- Business justification and alternative analysis
- Monitoring and Maintenance:
- Continuous monitoring of component security status and vulnerabilities
- Regular updates and patches applied according to risk prioritization
- End-of-life tracking and replacement planning for obsolete components
- Performance monitoring and impact assessment for component updates
- Documentation maintenance for component inventory and dependencies
3.2 DevOps and CI/CD Security
Security controls shall be integrated into DevOps practices and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
3.2.1 Secure CI/CD Pipeline
- Pipeline Security Controls:
- All CI/CD pipeline components shall be secured and regularly updated
- Access to pipeline systems shall be restricted and monitored
- Pipeline configurations shall be version controlled and reviewed
- Build environments shall be isolated and regularly refreshed
- Artifact integrity shall be verified through cryptographic signing
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security:
- All infrastructure definitions shall be version controlled and reviewed
- Security scanning of infrastructure templates and configurations
- Automated compliance checking against security baselines
- Immutable infrastructure practices to prevent configuration drift
- Secret management for infrastructure credentials and certificates
3.2.2 Secrets Management
- Credential Protection:
- Application secrets, API keys, and credentials shall never be stored in source code
- Dedicated secrets management systems shall be used for all sensitive credentials
- Secrets shall be encrypted at rest and in transit
- Regular rotation of secrets and credentials
- Audit logging for all secrets access and usage
- Environment Separation:
- Clear separation between development, testing, staging, and production environments
- Different credentials and access controls for each environment
- Production data shall not be used in non-production environments
- Data masking and anonymization for testing with realistic data sets
- Network segmentation between development and production environments
3.2.3 Build and Deployment Security
- Secure Build Practices:
- Containerized and isolated build environments
- Cryptographic signing of build artifacts and container images
- Scan artifacts for vulnerabilities before deployment
- Immutable artifact storage and retention policies
- Provenance tracking for all build components and dependencies
- Deployment Controls:
- Automated security scanning before production deployment
- Configuration validation against security baselines
- Rollback procedures for security incidents
- Blue-green or canary deployment strategies for risk mitigation
- Post-deployment security verification and monitoring
3.3 Supply Chain Risk Management
Comprehensive assessment and mitigation of supply chain risks associated with third-party components and vendors.
3.3.1 Vendor Risk Assessment
- Security Due Diligence:
- Vendor security questionnaires and assessment programs
- Third-party security certifications and compliance verification
- Vendor incident response capabilities and procedures evaluation
- Data handling and privacy practices assessment
- Business continuity and disaster recovery planning verification
- Contractual Security Requirements:
- Security requirements included in vendor contracts and agreements
- Right to audit and security assessment clauses
- Incident notification and response requirements
- Data protection and confidentiality obligations
- Compliance with regulatory requirements (HIPAA, SOC 2)
3.3.2 Software Supply Chain Security
- Component Verification:
- Digital signature verification for commercial software components
- Checksum validation for downloaded open source components
- Source code review for critical or high-risk components
- Build-from-source procedures for security-critical dependencies
- Supply chain attack detection and prevention measures
- Software Bill of Materials (SBOM):
- Generation and maintenance of SBOM for all applications
- Component tracking including version, license, and vulnerability status
- SBOM sharing with security teams and stakeholders
- Integration with vulnerability management and incident response processes
- Compliance with emerging SBOM regulations and standards
4. Standards Compliance
5. Definitions
See Annex: Glossary
6. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Security Officer | Develop third-party component policies, oversee supply chain risk management, coordinate vendor security assessments, and ensure compliance with security standards. |
| Development Team Lead | Ensure team compliance with component management practices, coordinate security reviews of dependencies, and maintain approved component lists for their teams. |
| Software Developers | Follow component selection guidelines, use approved third-party libraries, report security vulnerabilities in dependencies, and participate in component security reviews. |
| DevOps Engineers | Implement secure CI/CD pipelines, manage secrets and credentials, maintain security tools integration, configure build security controls, and ensure infrastructure security. |
| Security Engineers | Perform security assessments of third-party components, maintain vulnerability databases, conduct supply chain risk assessments, and provide security guidance for component selection. |
| Architecture Team | Define component selection criteria, establish security standards for third-party integration, review high-risk component decisions, and provide architectural guidance for dependencies. |
| Legal/Compliance Team | Review license compliance, assess contractual security requirements with vendors, ensure regulatory compliance, and manage legal aspects of third-party relationships. |
| Procurement Team | Include security requirements in vendor selection, coordinate vendor security assessments, maintain vendor risk registers, and ensure contractual security obligations. |
| All Workforce Members | Report security vulnerabilities and concerns related to third-party components, follow established procedures, complete required training, and support security initiatives. |