The API That Could Transform Software Transparency | An OWASP AppSec Global 2025 Conversation with Olle E Johansson | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

The introduction of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) marks a major shift for the software industry: for the first time, manufacturers are being held accountable for the cybersecurity of their products. Olle E. Johansson, a long-time open source developer and contributor to the Asterisk PBX project, explains how this new regulation reshapes the role of software creators and introduces the need for transparency across the entire supply chain.

In this episode, Johansson breaks down the complexity of today’s software supply ecosystems—where manufacturers rely heavily on open source components, and end users struggle to identify vulnerabilities buried deep in third-party dependencies. With the CRA in place, the burden now falls on manufacturers to not only track but also report on the components in their products. That includes actively communicating which vulnerabilities affect users—and which do not.

To make this manageable, Johansson introduces the Transparency Exchange API (TEA), a project rooted in the OWASP CycloneDX standard. What started as a simple Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) delivery mechanism has evolved into a broader platform for sharing vulnerability information, attestations, documentation, and even cryptographic data necessary for the post-quantum transition. Standardizing this API through Ecma International is a major step toward a scalable, automated supply chain security infrastructure.

The episode also highlights the importance of automation and shared data formats in enabling companies to react quickly to threats like Log4j. Johansson notes that, historically, security teams spent countless hours manually assessing whether they were affected by a specific vulnerability. The Transparency Exchange API aims to change that by automating the entire feedback loop from developer to manufacturer to end user.

Although still in beta, the project is gaining traction with organizations like the Apache Foundation integrating it into their release processes. Johansson emphasizes that community feedback is essential and invites listeners to engage through GitHub to help shape the project’s future.

For Johansson, OWASP stands for global knowledge and collaboration in application security. As Europe’s regulatory influence grows, initiatives like this are essential to build a stronger, more accountable software ecosystem.

GUEST: Olle E Johansson | Co-Founder, SBOM Europe | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollejohansson/

HOST:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | https://www.seanmartin.com

SPONSORS

Manicode Security: https://itspm.ag/manicode-security-7q8i

RESOURCES

CycloneDX/transparency-exchange-api on GitHub: https://github.com/CycloneDX/transparency-exchange-api

VIDEO: The Cyber Resilience Act: How the EU is Reshaping Digital Product Security | With Sarah Fluchs: https://youtu.be/c30eG5kzqnY

Learn more and catch more stories from OWASP AppSec Global 2025 Barcelona coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/owasp-global-appsec-barcelona-2025-application-security-event-coverage-in-catalunya-spain

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