Why Enterprises Should Start Establishing a Cryptography Bill of Materials (CBOM) Now
A Cryptography Bill of Materials (CBOM) gives enterprises a structured, contextual inventory of cryptographic assets such as keys, algorithms, and digital certificates. More than a simple list, a CBOM improves visibility, governance, and risk management by showing how cryptography supports business operations and where vulnerabilities exist. As quantum computing, algorithm deprecation, and compliance pressures increase, CBOMs help organizations build crypto agility, accelerate incident response, and prepare for post-quantum security when paired with automation.
Cryptography protects identities, secures data, and builds trust, making it a critical tool for modern enterprise security. Despite widespread usage, however, cryptography often fails to reach its full potential, hampered by uneven or disorganized implementation that leaves gaps in coverage.
Limited visibility exacerbates these challenges, making it difficult to discern which cryptographic solutions are in use and whether they prove effective. While solutions such as certificate lifecycle management (CLM) enhance visibility for specific cryptographic elements, additional monitoring or supervision is often required.
A cryptographic bill of materials (CBOM) addresses these issues by bringing structure and oversight to comprehensive encryption strategies. This resource helps reveal whether and where assets exist while also detailing gaps or vulnerabilities. More than a list, the CBOM offers context to support consistent governance and informed decision-making within an enterprise.
What is a CBOM?
A cryptographic bill of materials provides a comprehensive inventory detailing all cryptographic elements used in software or systems. Intended to help organizations identify and address cryptographic risks, a CBOM reveals where cryptographic assets (such as cryptographic keys, algorithms, and digital certificates) exist and how they are used. This is not a static inventory; this resource offers context to reveal the purpose of each cryptographic element, along with associated dependencies.
Sectigo's Tim Callan explains that a CBOM helps organizations answer critical cryptographic questions: "What's the cryptography we're using [and] how are we using it?"
A CBOM should not be confused with the software bill of materials (SBOM), which the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency describes as a "key building block in software security and software supply chain risk management," offering a “nested inventory” that details a range of software components. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) compares this to “food ingredient labels on packaging.”
The CBOM serves a similar function, but hones in on the cryptographic components responsible for securing software solutions. This focused inventory is necessary because blind spots remain common in current security practices, with many IT leaders struggling to understand (or keep up with) cryptographic assets.
Why a CBOM is more than a list
The value of a CBOM lies not just in what it contains, but rather, how it describes these elements and how detailed cryptographic assets play into the bigger picture of cryptographic resilience. This should describe both current solutions along with future risks or opportunities, contextualizing cryptographic assets based on crypto agility objectives and quantum readiness.
Sectigo's Tim Callan explains that the ideal CBOM will clarify: is the current cryptographic environment "fit for purpose," and, if not, what will it take to make it fit for purpose? This resource should take a big-picture approach, moving beyond which assets are included to how these cryptographic solutions address risks or vulnerabilities (such as the potential for deprecated algorithms), how they promote readiness (such as key rotations in response to regulatory changes), and how they drive business impact.
Sectigo's Jason Soroko suggests that we reframe this concept as the "contextual CBOM." At minimum, this should include justification for current cryptographic assets, revealing why they are necessary while also acknowledging the risks they carry and how, if necessary, they can be updated or replaced. Additionally, CBOMs should capture:
- Operational dependencies. A CBOM should demonstrate how cryptographic assets relate to various business processes and systems. This reveals which devices, services, or APIs depend on specific keys, certificates, or algorithms. This context reminds us that cryptographic assets do not function in isolation.
- Criticality of the system. Criticality references how important each cryptographic solution is to an enterprise's overall security posture. A CBOM can help teams determine which cryptographic elements support mission-critical systems, enhancing both security and operational continuity.
- Risk exposure if crypto fails. A thorough CBOM will not simply address best-case scenarios; it will reveal what could happen in the event of adverse situations and where enterprises might prove most vulnerable. This might detail the potential for large-scale certificate outages, compliance violations, or breakdowns in trust in response to failed cryptographic solutions.
- Upgrade or migration readiness. Some cryptographic assets are more adaptable than others, and, amid rapid digital changes, it's important to know what it takes to update or replace solutions without disrupting existing operations or workflows. The bill of materials should highlight obstacles that might impede or delay upgrades, especially in the event of quantum advancements or algorithm deprecation.
How it supports cybersecurity and future readiness
A CBOM can provide immediate improvements in enterprise-level cryptographic strategies, along with broad support for comprehensive security solutions and even future-proofing to help organizations prepare for the security challenges of tomorrow.
Advantages include:
- Improves visibility. A CBOM improves cryptographic visibility by consolidating discovered assets into a structured inventory, providing a clear overview of where and how cryptographic assets are utilized and reducing blind spots across the environment. Importantly, this also links cryptographic assets to relevant applications, services, and processes, showcasing the big picture of cryptographic protection as it relates to overarching security posture.
- Strengthens governance. It delivers the structured inventory needed to enforce strict security policies across teams, departments, and digital environments. This improves audit readiness, ensuring that cryptographic practices are not only compliant, but also, fully documented.
- Improves incident and remediation responses. In the event of an adverse incident (such as certificate expiration or key compromise), a CBOM enables a faster response by ensuring that impacted systems are promptly identified and addressed.
- Prepares for post-quantum change. A cryptographic bill of materials supports quantum readiness by drawing attention to the cryptographic algorithms and keys that may be vulnerable to quantum attacks in the future. These insights can help enterprises boost crypto agility, guiding preparations for the eventual adoption of quantum-resistant algorithms. With large-scale quantum computing expected to emerge within the coming years, now is the time to adopt measures that will support a seamless transition to quantum-safe cryptography.
How to build a CBOM?
CBOM development begins with determining who is responsible for inventorying and managing diverse cryptographic assets. Select teams or professionals who possess not only cryptographic expertise, but also, a deep understanding of enterprise-specific security policies.
From there, CBOM development and implementation will depend on the specific assets and resources at play. In general, however, this process follows a few key steps:
- Discover cryptographic assets. Cryptographic assets cannot be properly understood or managed until they are known. This occurs during the discovery process, which should cover all relevant enterprise systems, applications, and devices. Full visibility can only be achieved if every single algorithm, key, and certificate is identified.
- Catalog all components. As components are discovered, they should be added to an organized and centralized resource that provides a single source of truth. In addition to listing algorithms, keys, and digital certificates, this catalog should highlight essential details such as key lengths, expiration dates, and function.
- Explain context. Remember: a CBOM is more than a list. Bring nuance to this resource with supporting information, highlighting dependencies, criticality, and the potential impact of asset failure.
- Assess future risk. Consider where current cryptographic assets might fall short or which challenges are likely to emerge in the near future. For example, the quantum threat is best addressed via updated, quantum-safe or hybrid digital certificates, and through use of an automated certificate lifecycle management system.
- Maintain the CBOM. This is not a static resource; it must adapt alongside cryptographic assets and the threats or challenges they seek to address. Maintenance includes adding new components as they are deployed, with changes to keys or certificates detailed, and assets removed when they're no longer in use.
How Sectigo helps operationalize CBOM
A CBOM offers much‑needed insight into an organization’s cryptographic landscape, but it delivers the greatest value when paired with automation that keeps inventories accurate, current, and actionable. For most enterprises, this begins with the cryptographic assets that underpin the majority of digital trust relationships: digital certificates.
Sectigo Certificate Manager (SCM) enables organizations to move from passive inventory to active cryptographic resilience by providing a single platform to discover, monitor, and automate the full lifecycle of all digital certificates across the enterprise. With centralized visibility and standardized workflows, SCM transforms CBOM insights into ongoing operational strength, ensuring cryptographic assets remain trusted, compliant, and aligned with business needs.
But operationalizing a CBOM is only half the challenge. As organizations surface weak keys, deprecated algorithms, misconfigurations, or compromised certificates within their CBOM, they also need to rapidly remediate cryptographic weaknesses before they disrupt business continuity. SCM accelerates this remediation by:
- Identifying weak or non‑compliant cryptographic assets, including vulnerable algorithms, insufficient key lengths, or certificates issued by untrusted CAs
- Automating key and certificate rotation to replace risky assets without operational downtime
- Instantly replacing compromised or suspicious certificates, restoring trust across dependent systems with seamless workflows
- Migrating assets to stronger standards, such as quantum‑safe or hybrid certificates, supporting long‑term crypto‑agility
- Enforcing governance and policy compliance, ensuring all updated assets adhere to organizational security requirements
This automated remediation capability directly aligns with Sectigo’s QUANT strategy, a holistic framework for guiding organizations into the post‑quantum era through proactive assessment, migration planning, and the adoption of quantum‑safe technologies. QUANT is designed to help enterprises address major emerging risks, including the Harvest Now, Decrypt Later threat and vulnerabilities in long‑lived digital signatures that may extend into the quantum frontier.
When combined with CBOM insights, Sectigo’s QUANT strategy enables organizations to:
- Pinpoint cryptographic assets vulnerable to future quantum attacks
- Prioritize remediation of long‑lived keys and signatures that must remain secure well beyond today’s cryptographic timelines
- Validate post‑quantum and hybrid certificate strategies through Sectigo PQC Labs, a dedicated environment for testing quantum‑safe assets
- Build crypto‑agile operational processes ahead of NIST’s planned 2030–2035 deprecation and replacement timelines
Together, SCM, CBOM, and the QUANT strategy form a complete, forward‑looking ecosystem for cryptographic resilience, helping organizations not only understand their current cryptographic posture but continuously strengthen it as threats evolve and the quantum era approaches. Learn more about SCM or schedule a demo today.