How Web Assembly Can Mitigate the Software Supply Chain Crisis

The vulnerability stems from a widely used method to construct applications that tightly couples enterprise business logic with specific libraries to implement supporting functionality. Adding insult to that original injury, organizations have to invest in a vast array of security platforms to protect applications that from an architectural perspective are deeply flawed. Wasm was designed to break that cycle by virtualizing particular binary formats and libraries in a way that eliminates the need to continuously update vulnerable application components. That approach sharply reduces the overall size of the attack surface that needs to be defended within those applications in a way that provides the added benefit of driving down the cost of cybersecurity. Originally founded by Fastly, Intel, Mozilla and Microsoft, the Bytecode Alliance now also includes Arm, Google, Shopify, Cosmonic, DFINITY Foundation, Embark Studios, and the University of California at San Diego.