Docker Scout for Open Source Projects | Docker

As we announced at DockerCon, we’re now providing a free Docker Scout Team subscription to all Docker-Sponsored Open Source (DSOS) program participants. 

If your open source project participates in the DSOS program, you can start using Docker Scout today. If your open source project is not in the Docker-Sponsored Open Source program, you can check the requirements and apply.

For other customers, Docker Scout is already generally available. Refer to the Docker Scout product page to learn more.

Why use Docker Scout?

Docker Scout is a software supply chain solution designed to make it easier for developers to identify and fix supply chain issues before they hit production. 

To do this, Docker Scout:

• Gives developers a centralized view of the tools they already use to see all the critical information they need across the software supply chain 
• Makes clear recommendations on how to address those issues, including for security issues and opportunities to improve reliability efforts
• Provides automation that highlights new defects, failures, or issues

Docker Scout allows you to prevent and address flaws where they start. By identifying issues earlier in the software development lifecycle and displaying information in Docker Desktop and the command line, Docker Scout reduces interruptions and rework.

Supply chain security is a big focus in software development, with attention from enterprises and governments. Software is complex, and when security, reliability, and stability issues arise, they’re often the result of an upstream library. So developers don’t just need to address issues in the software they write but also in the software their software uses.

These concerns apply just as much to open source projects as proprietary software. But the focus on improving the software supply chain results in an unfunded mandate for open source developers. A research study by the Linux Foundation found that almost 25% of respondents said the cost of security gaps was “high” or “very high.” Most open source projects don’t have the budget to address these gaps. With Docker Scout, we can reduce the burden on open source projects.

Conclusion

At Docker, we understand the importance of helping open source communities improve their software supply chain. We see this as a mutually beneficial relationship with the open source community. A well-managed supply chain doesn’t just help the projects that produce open source software; it helps downstream consumers through to the end user.

For more information, refer to the Docker Scout documentation.  

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