Definition
Software composition analysis (SCA) is an automated process that identifies the open source software in a codebase. This analysis is performed to evaluate security, license compliance, and code quality.
Companies need to be aware of open source license limitations and obligations. Tracking these obligations manually became too arduous of a task—and it often overlooked code and its accompanying vulnerabilities. An automated solution, SCA, was developed, and from this initial use case, it expanded to analyze code security and quality.
In a modern DevOps or DevSecOps environment, SCA has galvanized the “shift left” paradigm. Earlier and continuous SCA testing has enabled developers and security teams to drive productivity without compromising security and quality.