Vulnerability management in OT is a key element of cyber resilience for critical infrastructures—especially in the power grid. In contrast to traditional IT, where regular updates and standardized processes are established, specific challenges arise in the OT sector: long system lifecycles, proprietary protocols, a lack of security mechanisms in legacy systems, and the high priority given to availability and security over pure IT security. An untimely restart or patch can not only disrupt processes, but in the worst case, lead to a power outage.

Challenges in OT vulnerability management:
The biggest hurdles include limited transparency about existing systems, the heterogeneity of the technologies used, and the lack of direct access to systems that are in operation around the ...