Secure your software supply chain with Go

Secure Your Software Supply Chain with Go

Introduction

Hello everyone, and thank you for attending this session at Google Cloud Next. My name is Cameron, and I'm the product lead for the Go programming language at Google. Today, we're going to discuss software supply chain security: what it is, why it matters, and how the tools we provide with the Go programming language can help you secure your software supply chain at every stage of the software development lifecycle.

About Me

As mentioned, I lead the Go team, having been part of it for over three years. Before Go, I worked on the Google Cloud SDK, focusing on languages and frameworks integrations. I've also served as a software developer at a proprietary trading firm, working on high-frequency, low-latency trading strategies in C++ and Java. Now, I'm an advocate for Go, and the security features I'll elaborate on today are just a small part of why I prefer Go over other languages I've worked with.

The Origin of Go

Motivation and Vision

Go originated at Google during a period of exponential growth in 2007. It was designed to address the productivity bottlenecks in large-scale software development that were encountered with C++ and Java. Created by a team including Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson, Go was built to prioritize simplicity and efficiency.

Go 1.0 and Compatibility Promise

In 2012, Go 1.0 was released with a focus on stability and real-world software engineering at scale. The Go Compatibility Promise ensured that programs written for Go 1.0 would continue to compile and run unchanged, establishing a reliable foundation for developers.

Evolution and Features of Go

Between 2012 and 2015, Go underwent significant improvements, leading to Go 1.5, which involved rewriting the compiler and runtime in Go itself, improving garbage collection, and enhancing performance.

Dependency Management and Modules

In 2018, Go introduced modules, revolutionizing dependency management by making module contents immutable. This enabled caching, more efficient distribution via the Go module mirror, and enhanced security through the checksum database.

Addressing Growing Security Needs

As Go gained prominence in modern infrastructure and industry, security became a critical focus. Key initiatives included:

SBoM (Software Bill of Materials) in Go 1.8
Native Fuzz Testing in Go 1.8
Gaia Vulnerability Management System

Securing the Supply Chain

Understanding the Software Supply Chain

The software supply chain encompasses your source code, dependency libraries, and the processes that build and deploy your software. Vulnerabilities in any of these stages can compromise the entire system.

Example of a Supply Chain Attack

Consider a vulnerability deep within a dependency tree. Despite the distance, it can affect your application through transitive dependencies, underscoring the complexity and risk of modern software ecosystems.

Go's Security Approach

Comprehensive Coverage

Go's security features address every stage of the software lifecycle:

Go Module Mirror and Checksum Database: Ensures immutability and integrity of dependencies.
Vulnerability Detection: Integrated into the Go toolchain, IDE extensions, and the Go vulnerability database.

Vulnerability Management

Go's end-to-end vulnerability management provides actionable insights based on package, symbol, and version data, allowing developers to focus on actual threats.

Integrations

Package Site (pkg.go.dev): Displays vulnerability information on package pages.
Command Line Tool (govulncheck): Scans for vulnerabilities in codebases and binaries.
IDE Integration (VS Code): Highlights vulnerabilities and suggests fixes as you code.

Conclusion

Go's approach to security, integrated through the entire development lifecycle and combined with Google's Cloud offerings, provides a robust foundation for secure software development, especially for mission-critical systems and infrastructure.

Keywords

Go programming language
Software supply chain security
Dependency management
Go 1.0
Compatibility Promise
Module mirror
Checksum database
Vulnerability management
fuzz testing

FAQ

Q: What is the primary motivation behind the creation of Go? A: Go was created to address productivity bottlenecks in large-scale software development at Google, focusing on simplicity and efficiency.

Q: What is Go's Compatibility Promise? A: The Go Compatibility Promise ensures that programs written for Go 1.0 will continue to compile and run unchanged, providing long-term stability.

Q: How does Go manage dependencies? A: Go uses modules for dependency management, ensuring immutability and integrity through the Go module mirror and checksum database.

Q: What is the Go vulnerability management system? A: It is an end-to-end system that detects and curates vulnerabilities in Go packages, integrating data from various sources and tools like govulncheck and IDE extensions.

Q: What are some of the significant security features in Go? A: Key features include native fuzz testing, support for SBoM, integrated vulnerability detection, and strict dependency management policies.