The security profile captures security-related information in a SPDX Security Document. Specifically, the properties and relationships specified in the security profile are in support of  exchanging  information about software vulnerabilities that may exist, the severity of those vulnerabilities, and a mechanism to express how a vulnerability may affect a specific software element including if a fix is available.

This profile may be produced or consumed by a variety of personas, including:

• Open source project contributors and maintainers
• Vulnerability management reporters, publishers, and coordinators
• Software producers who want to receive vulnerability information from open source projects in a machine-readable, standardized format
• Individuals or organizations that execute security scanning for software and want to communicate results
• Individuals or organizations that receive a security scan and want to communicate impact of that scan using VEX

The security information can be consumed by engineering, security, safety, compliance, quality assurance operators, auditors and executives.

Using the security profile clearly communicates vulnerability information and impact to software producers, consumers, intermediaries or end users. It can be used to help assess the security risk of using a particular piece of software.

The security profile provides syntax around how to use the classes and relationships in the model files on GitHub. For example:

• How to score a vulnerability using a CVSS v3 assessment
• How to designate a software component is not affected by a vulnerability