software component

A discrete, identifiable unit of executable code — such as a library, module, package, or program — that performs defined functions and can be assembled with other units to form a larger system. In NIST's framework, it is treated as a "discrete, identifiable information technology asset (e.g., hardware, software, firmware) that represents a building block of an information system." Contractually and operationally, it is understood as "a discrete part of software which provides specific functionality or performs specific functions or procedures and which can operate independently or in conjunction with other components." In security and compliance practice, the term is used at the system-inventory and supply-chain-risk level: most modern software is comprised of software components, modules, and libraries from open source and proprietary software worlds, and as concerns about security and provenance grow, it is critical to understand the risks those underlying components introduce. Regulators and standards bodies therefore require organizations to enumerate software components explicitly — SBOMs are a standardized inventory of software components used in a particular product or syst

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