Maven Central Repository is a public repository that hosts open source Java components and libraries. The repository is managed by Sonatype and serves as infrastructure for the Java ecosystem, enabling developers to share and consume Java artifacts. The repository implements security controls at the publishing level, including namespace control that requires publishers to control a domain matching their groupId to prevent typosquatting. All artifacts must be cryptographically signed before publication, and components must meet formatting, structure, and policy standards through metadata validation. The platform includes threat response capabilities to detect and reject malicious or suspicious uploads before they go live. Maven Central integrates with build tools such as Apache Maven, Gradle, and SBT, which are configured by default to pull dependencies from the repository. Developers can also browse and download artifacts manually through the web interface. The repository is maintained as free and open infrastructure for the Java community. Sonatype applies its stewardship experience from managing Maven Central to inform its commercial products, including vulnerability data and threat modeling based on ecosystem behavior patterns observed in the repository. The platform provides dependency resolution capabilities that allow development teams to manage software dependencies. When combined with other Sonatype products like Nexus Repository, Repository Firewall, and Lifecycle, it can provide additional protection for software supply chain security.