2026 Minimum Elements for a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)

CISA, the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and international partners released joint guidance, 2026 Minimum Elements for a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) , that updates and replaces the minimum elements for an SBOM published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in 2021. The new guidance incorporates stakeholder feedback from a 2025 public comment period and reflects current SBOM tools and needs while preserving the core principles of the original NTIA document. An SBOM serves as an “ingredients list” for software and is a key building block of software security and supply chain risk management. Organizations can use SBOM data to better understand the makeup of their software components and supply chains and make more risk-informed decisions. Minimum elements for an SBOM describe the baseline technologies and practices that an SBOM should include. While the minimum elements for an SBOM apply to all software, some software types—such as artificial intelligence and software as a service in cloud environments—may require additional elements. Any effort to improve software transparency, regardless of the software type, should begin with the application of minimum elements.