Key takeaways
- Automated security scoring for any open source project — checks 18+ risk categories including branch protection, dependency updates, SAST, fuzzing, signed releases, and maintained status
- Google-backed via OpenSSF (Open Source Security Foundation). Scores any public GitHub repo instantly via API or CLI
- The "credit score for open source" — gives organizations a standardized way to evaluate dependency trust before adoption
- GitHub Action available for CI integration. Weekly scans of millions of projects published to BigQuery dataset
FAQ
What is OpenSSF Scorecard?
An automated tool that scores open source projects on 18+ security risk categories. Google-backed via OpenSSF. Provides a standardized trust score for any public GitHub repository.
Overview
OpenSSF Scorecard automatically assesses open source projects against 18+ security risk categories — branch protection, dependency update policies, SAST usage, fuzzing, signed releases, contributor activity, and more. It produces a 0-10 score that serves as a standardized trust metric for open source dependencies.
Google-backed via the Open Source Security Foundation. Scores any public GitHub repo instantly via CLI or API. Weekly scans of millions of projects are published to a BigQuery dataset for ecosystem-wide analysis.
Competitive Position
Strengths: Standardized scoring. Google/OpenSSF backing. Massive dataset. CI integration via GitHub Actions.
Weaknesses: Scores are surface-level (process checks, not code audit). Gaming possible (check the boxes without real security). Public repos only.
Research by Ry Walker Research