diff --git a/dependency-check-core/src/main/java/org/owasp/dependencycheck/dependency/Evidence.java b/dependency-check-core/src/main/java/org/owasp/dependencycheck/dependency/Evidence.java
index 241791dea..bddd69bc8 100644
--- a/dependency-check-core/src/main/java/org/owasp/dependencycheck/dependency/Evidence.java
+++ b/dependency-check-core/src/main/java/org/owasp/dependencycheck/dependency/Evidence.java
@@ -231,9 +231,9 @@ public class Evidence implements Serializable, Comparable<Evidence> {
         if (o == null) {
             return 1;
         }
-        if (equalsWithNullCheck(source, o.source)) {
-            if (equalsWithNullCheck(name, o.name)) {
-                if (equalsWithNullCheck(value, o.value)) {
+        if (StringUtils.equalsIgnoreCase(source, o.source)) {
+            if (StringUtils.equalsIgnoreCase(name, o.name)) {
+                if (StringUtils.equalsIgnoreCase(value, o.value)) {
                     if (ObjectUtils.equals(confidence, o.confidence)) {
                         return 0; //they are equal
                     } else {
@@ -250,22 +250,6 @@ public class Evidence implements Serializable, Comparable<Evidence> {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Equality check with an exhaustive, possibly duplicative, check against nulls.
-     *
-     * @param me the value to be compared
-     * @param other the other value to be compared
-     * @return true if the values are equal; otherwise false
-     */
-    private boolean equalsWithNullCheck(String me, String other) {
-        if (me == null && other == null) {
-            return true;
-        } else if (me == null || other == null) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        return me.equalsIgnoreCase(other);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Wrapper around {@link java.lang.String#compareToIgnoreCase(java.lang.String) String.compareToIgnoreCase} with an
      * exhaustive, possibly duplicative, check against nulls.