SBOMs for Medical Devices
An SBOM is now table-stakes for FDA cybersecurity review - and the most common reason packages get rejected at Technical Screening. This hub covers our SBOM service, format guidance (SPDX 2.3 and CycloneDX 1.4+), the rejection patterns we see most often in deficiency letters, and how SBOMs feed into postmarket vulnerability management with VEX. Every artifact we ship is machine-readable, cryptographically hashed for tamper evidence, and structured to drop directly into the eSTAR cybersecurity sections without translation. We cover first-party code, third-party libraries, embedded OS and bootloader components, companion mobile apps, and cloud back-end services as a single linked assembly.
The short answer
An SBOM should cover commercial, open-source, and off-the-shelf software, and carries the metadata reviewers check for, ideally in a machine-readable format such as CycloneDX or SPDX: supplier, component name, version, unique identifier, dependency relationship, author, timestamp, support level, and end-of-support date. Section 524B(b)(3) makes it a statutory requirement. Provide a device-specific assessment of known vulnerabilities and supporting rationale; VEX is optional. Maintain the SBOM through configuration management, with a justified refresh process.
Services
- Medical Device SBOM Services
Medical device SBOM services with source, build, and binary evidence reconciliation, component vulnerability assessment, and support-status verification. SPDX by default; fixed fee after scoping.
- FDA Postmarket Cybersecurity
Once cleared, your device still needs eyes on it. We handle SBOM monitoring, coordinated vulnerability disclosure, patching, and FDA-aligned reporting - delivered as one-off projects or as an annual TPLC Partnership covering an entire product line.
- Legacy Device Protection
Compensating controls, network isolation, and monitoring for fielded devices that can't be easily updated - keeping clinical operations running without touching the cleared design.
In-depth guides
- The MedTech Cybersecurity Standards DecoderA plain-English field guide to Section 524B, IEC 81001-5-1, ANSI/AAMI SW96, ISO 14971, and more: what each requires and how they connect in eSTAR.
- Postmarket Cybersecurity Readiness PlanA three-phase plan, Premarket → Launch → Operate, for the cybersecurity work that starts before your 510(k) is filed, lights up before your first device ships, and runs for the life of the product. Aligned to the FDA February 2026 final guidance.
- CPE vs PURL for Medical Device SBOMs: Which Identifier and WhenHow CPE and PURL identifiers differ, why medical device SBOMs need both, and how to map PURL to CPE for FDA postmarket CVE monitoring under Section 524B.
- SBOM for Medical Devices: The 2026 FDA Pillar GuideWhat an SBOM is, why the FDA requires one under Section 524B, SPDX vs CycloneDX, how to generate and submit one, and how it powers postmarket vulnerability management.
- SBOM in a 510(k) Submission: Where It Goes (2026)Where the SBOM belongs in a 510(k) eSTAR submission, what has to accompany it, how it ties to the vulnerability assessment, and the placement errors that trigger deficiencies.
- CycloneDX vs SPDX: Medical Device SBOM Compliance GuideDoes the FDA prefer CycloneDX or SPDX? Compare SBOM formats for medical device cybersecurity compliance and premarket 510(k) submissions.
- Who Is Responsible for Supplier SBOMs? (2026)Supplier SBOM responsibility under FDA Section 524B: the manufacturer owns the device SBOM, what to require in supplier contracts, and how to document gaps reviewers will accept.
- Postmarket SBOM Maintenance for Medical DevicesHow to maintain SBOMs across a fleet of cleared devices: regeneration cadence, vulnerability triage, VEX, and the postmarket plan that ties it together.
- AIBOM for Medical Devices: AI Bill of Materials (2026)What an AIBOM is, how it differs from an SBOM, recommended inventory fields for AI-enabled devices, and how to generate one in CycloneDX or SPDX.
Standards & guidance
Defined entries from our MedTech Cybersecurity Standards Glossary.
- FDA 2026 GuidanceFDA Premarket Cybersecurity Guidance (Feb 3, 2026)The FDA's final premarket cybersecurity guidance, issued February 3, 2026. Provides nonbinding recommendations for cybersecurity documentation and explains Section 524B obligations. It directly supersedes the June 27, 2025 guidance; September 2023 was a final guidance, not a draft.
- Section 524BFD&C Act Cyber Device RequirementsSection 524B of the FD&C Act (the statutory partner to 21 CFR 807.81) was added by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. It gives the FDA explicit authority to require a complete cybersecurity package in every premarket submission for a cyber device, and to refuse submissions that lack one. It works alongside 21 CFR 807.81, which sets the 90-day 510(k) filing floor.
- IEC 81001-5-1Health Software Security ActivitiesThe international standard the FDA points to for the Secure Product Development Framework (SPDF). Defines security activities at each lifecycle stage - planning, requirements, design, implementation, V&V, release, and post-market.
- AAMI TIR97Postmarket Security Risk ManagementPostmarket companion to TIR57/SW96 - CVE monitoring, vulnerability triage, patching, and coordinated disclosure.
Related FDA deficiencies
The deficiency letters reviewers most often write on submissions in this topic area. Each links to the full response playbook.
- Non-Conformant SBOM
Your SBOM is missing required minimum elements, transitive dependencies, or is delivered in an unsupported format.
Response playbook - Missing CVE / CWE Mapping
Reviewers cannot find the CVE-to-component or CWE-to-weakness mapping that lets them verify your vulnerability posture.
Response playbook - Inadequate Vulnerability Management Plan
Your VM plan lacks defined triage timelines, a coordinated vulnerability disclosure path, or a documented patch-deploy mechanism.
Response playbook - Inadequate Post-Market Cybersecurity Plan
Your post-market plan lacks monitoring, patching commitments, customer communications, or end-of-support handling.
Response playbook
SBOMs for Medical Devices - frequently asked questions
Secure your device before it reaches patients.
30-minute strategy session. No cost, no commitment - just answers from people who've supported 275+ FDA submissions, with zero cybersecurity rejections.
