Software supply chain attacks are surging at an unprecedented rate. According to SecurityWeek, these attacks have increased by 742% in the past three years, making it clear that traditional security measures are no longer enough. In response, the Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts (SLSA) framework was developed to help organizations fortify their software development processes from end to end.
What is SLSA Framework?
Source: SLSA
The SLSA Framework (Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts), pronounced “salsa“, is a comprehensive security framework that protects software from development to deployment. It defines four levels of security, each building on the previous one to improve software safety and transparency throughout its lifecycle.
Here’s a quick overview of the four levels:
- Level 1: Basic Integrity – Ensures automated builds and controlled environments, laying the foundation for traceability.
- Level 2: Provenance – Tracks the origins of software artifacts, ensuring they can be traced back to their source.
- Level 3: Security – Implements access controls and reproducible builds to detect tampering.
- Level 4: Maximum Security – Provides the highest level of protection with tamper-proof, hermetic builds and strict provenance controls.
Why SLSA is Critical for CI/CD Pipelines
As DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines accelerate software development, they also expose vulnerabilities. Attackers can exploit these gaps, injecting malicious code or tampering with dependencies. Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts addresses these challenges by ensuring that every step of the development process is secure, transparent, and verifiable.
- Visibility and Traceability: SLSA tracks every change and component in your pipeline, making it easier to detect vulnerabilities early.
- Proactive Defense: It identifies and mitigates risks before they can be exploited.
- Standardization: SLSA provides a recognized standard for securing software artifacts, ensuring consistency across development processes.
How Xygeni Supports SLSA Compliance
Achieving SLSA compliance isn’t just about checking security boxes—it’s about protecting your software supply chain while keeping development fast and efficient. For DevOps teams, balancing security and speed can be challenging, especially in fast-moving CI/CD pipelines. This is where Xygeni steps in, automating critical security tasks to ensure your software supply chain meets and exceeds SLSA framework standards—without slowing down your workflow.
1. Automating Build Integrity – SLSA Level 1
The first step to secure software is consistency. Xygeni integrates into CI/CD pipelines, automating build monitoring and ensuring that each build follows a repeatable, verifiable process. By eliminating manual errors and reducing security risks, Xygeni helps teams meet SLSA framework Level 1 compliance effortlessly. This means that from the very beginning, your builds are protected and aligned with best practices.
2. Ensuring Provenance & Traceability – SLSA Level 2
Knowing where your software components come from is essential for security. At SLSA framework Level 2, Xygeni automatically tracks the origin of every artifact, creating immutable records that can’t be altered. With full visibility into your software pipeline, teams can trace every component back to its source, making it easier to detect unauthorized changes and prevent supply chain attacks.
3. Strengthening Security Controls – SLSA Level 3
As security threats grow, stronger protection becomes necessary. At SLSA framework Level 3, Xygeni introduces advanced security controls, such as real-time dependency tracking and reachability analysis. Instead of overloading teams with alerts, Xygeni filters out non-exploitable vulnerabilities, allowing developers to focus on real risks. With built-in dependency checks, third-party components undergo strict security review before they are used.
4. Achieving Maximum Security with Hermetic Builds – SLSA Level 4
At SLSA framework Level 4, software security reaches its highest standard. Hermetic builds—which prevent reliance on external, unverified dependencies—are key to ensuring that every build is secure and tamper-proof. Xygeni automates this process, making sure each artifact is generated in a controlled, isolated environment. By verifying every step of the build, logging changes, and preventing unauthorized modifications, Xygeni provides full confidence in software integrity without slowing down development.
With Xygeni, achieving SLSA compliance is simple, automated, and fully integrated into your CI/CD pipelines.
How Xygeni Build Security Strengthens SLSA Attestations
Achieving Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts compliance isn’t just about monitoring builds—it requires provenance, verification, and continuous security enforcement. Xygeni Build Security simplifies this process by automating attestation generation, validation, and management, making it easy to ensure the integrity of your software without adding extra work for developers.
Generating Attestations Automatically
Trust in software starts with strong, verifiable attestations. Xygeni’s SALT (Software Attestations Layer for Trust) automatically creates SLSA-compliant attestations for every build, certifying its integrity and tracking its origin. This ensures that every step in the build process is documented, tamper-proof, and secure.
Easy Verification & Centralized Management
Managing attestations across multiple pipelines can be overwhelming. With Xygeni, teams can verify attestations effortlessly, making sure that each software component aligns with security policies. The Xygeni platform centralizes attestation management, providing a single place to track, audit, and enforce compliance with Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts and NIST SP 800-204D standards.
Seamless CI/CD Integration for Fast Adoption
Security should work with developers, not against them. Xygeni SALT integrates smoothly into existing CI/CD pipelines, offering command-line accessibility (CLI) and automated security enforcement. Whether your team uses GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, or Azure DevOps, Xygeni enables real-time attestation validation, ensuring builds are secure and fully verifiable in every environment.
End-to-End Compliance Without Disruptions
Xygeni makes SLSA compliance easy by ensuring that every software artifact is backed by cryptographically verifiable attestations. With automated verification, full provenance tracking, and deep CI/CD integration, teams can meet the highest security standards without slowing development.
With Xygeni Build Security, achieving SLSA attestation compliance is simple, automated, and fully embedded in your DevSecOps workflows.
Best Practices for Implementing the SLSA Framework
Integrating the Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts framework into your workflows requires balancing security with efficiency. By starting small, engaging stakeholders, leveraging automation, and iterating based on feedback, you can secure your software supply chain while maintaining agility. Here’s how Xygeni supports each step.
1. Conduct a Preliminary Assessment
Evaluate your current software development processes and identify gaps relative to SLSA framework requirements. Xygeni helps map critical assets and dependencies. It identifies vulnerabilities and highlights areas for improvement to meet SLSA standards.
2. Engage Stakeholders Early
Secure buy-in from development, security, and operations teams by showing the benefits of SLSA integration, such as reduced supply chain risks. Xygeni provides clear reports, making it easy for stakeholders to track progress and understand the value of SLSA.
3. Start Small and Scale Gradually
Pilot a project to test SLSA practices on a small scale. Scale to larger projects as your team becomes more comfortable. Xygeni’s tools make it easy to start and gradually apply SLSA practices, beginning with automated builds and tracking the origins of your software.
4. Integrate SLSA Practices into Existing Workflows
Use automation to embed SLSA practices into your CI/CD pipelines, minimizing manual effort and ensuring consistency. Xygeni integrates deeply with CI/CD pipelines, automating security tasks like build monitoring, dependency analysis, and provenance generation.
5. Provide Training and Resources
Ensure teams fully understand SLSA requirements through training programs and clear documentation. Xygeni offers support with training and onboarding, providing user-friendly interfaces and detailed reports for easy adaptation.
6. Regularly Review and Iterate
Regularly review the effectiveness of SLSA practices and adjust based on feedback. Xygeni’s detailed reports and analytics allow you to regularly monitor and adjust your security strategies.
7. Leverage SLSA Community Resources
Engage with the SLSA community for best practices and contribute back to share your experiences. Xygeni supports compliance and helps your organization stay connected with broader security efforts.
8. Monitor and Enforce Compliance
Implement real-time monitoring and automated enforcement mechanisms to ensure continuous compliance with SLSA. Xygeni continuously monitors compliance and sends automated alerts for any vulnerabilities, especially in third-party components. Security enforcement is integrated directly into your CI/CD pipeline.
Securing Your Future with Xygeni and SLSA
Securing your software supply chain is no longer a choice—it’s a must. The SLSA framework gives you a clear plan to protect your software, from basic security to advanced tamper-proof methods. With Xygeni, you can simplify compliance and grow your security measures easily, keeping your software safe, strong, and ready for the future.
Want to protect your software supply chain? See how Xygeni can help you meet Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts standards and protect your digital systems today.
FAQ: Understanding SLSA Framework for CI/CD Pipelines
Is SLSA the Best Standard for CI/CD Pipelines?
SLSA (Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts) is one of the most comprehensive and widely adopted security frameworks for CI/CD pipelines. It provides a structured, tiered approach to securing software development, focusing on build integrity, provenance, and tamper resistance.
While SLSA is not the only standard, it stands out because it:
- Covers the entire software lifecycle, from source code integrity to deployment.
- Defines clear security levels (1-4), making it adaptable for different security needs.
- Works alongside other security frameworks like NIST SP 800-204D and OWASP’s CI/CD Security Risks.
For organizations looking to strengthen CI/CD security, SLSA is an excellent choice. However, depending on specific compliance needs, some teams may also follow NIST, CIS, or industry-specific security frameworks alongside SLSA.
Who Governs the SLSA Framework for CI/CD Pipelines?
SLSA is governed by the OpenSSF (Open Source Security Foundation), a Linux Foundation project dedicated to improving software supply chain security. OpenSSF works closely with Google, GitHub, Microsoft, and other industry leaders to develop and refine the SLSA framework.
The SLSA working group continuously updates the framework to address emerging threats, align with best practices, and improve security adoption in CI/CD pipelines. Anyone interested in contributing or staying updated on SLSA developments can engage with OpenSSF’s community and working groups.
