Safe is the new smart

In an era in which digitization, connectivity and automation form the cornerstones of modern industries, the requirements for protecting critical infrastructures are constantly increasing. Companies are increasingly faced with the challenge of designing and operating their IT and OT landscapes (including building and security technology) not only in a high-performance manner, but also in a cyber secure manner. Asset and Vulnerability Management (AVM) is becoming an indispensable discipline for gaining transparency with regard to existing investments, systematically identifying weak points and establishing preventive measures. 

The aim is not only to minimize known risks, but also to meet regulatory requirements and best practices required by national and international institutions. The corporate landscape is changing — and with it, the methods to ensure sustainable security, compliance, and resilience. 

NIS and NIS-2: regulatory requirements and challenges The
“NIS” Directive (“Network and Information Security Directive”) was introduced by the European Union in 2016 to create a common level of security for network and information systems in the member states. NIS-2, the revised version of the Directive, further tightens these requirements and extends them to additional sectors and companies. The aim is to avoid supply security disruptions and significantly increase the reliability of critical infrastructures. 

Companies that fall under the scope of NIS/NIS-2 are required to take appropriate technical and organizational measures to minimize risks to the security of their systems and data. In particular, this includes the complete inventory of all assets, continuous vulnerability analysis and the timely elimination of identified risks. In the event of security incidents, there is an obligation to report them to the competent authorities within defined time limits. 

With the implementation of the NIS 2 Directive, there is growing pressure on companies to professionalize their cybersecurity structures and gain a comprehensive overview of the entire IT and OT landscape. Asset and vulnerability management is thus becoming an operational and strategic necessity. 

Why is asset and vulnerability management so important?
Building or security technology consists primarily of mature systems with an age of up to 20 years or more. With these “old” systems, the focus was on building automation and stable operation. Cyber attacks were not an issue back then, but they are currently becoming ever more sophisticated, attack points more diverse and the attack surface is exponentially larger as a result of increasing networking. In this context, knowledge of a company’s own hardware and software components and their weak points is the cornerstone of any effective security strategy. Asset management lays the foundation by recording, categorizing and evaluating all systems, devices, and applications. Only then can priorities be set and resources used efficiently.

Vulnerability Management complements this approach by continuously identifying vulnerabilities, evaluating their criticality and recommending countermeasures. This is the only way to proactively close potential attack routes before they can be exploited by cyber criminals. An effective AVM strategy therefore forms the backbone of holistic risk management. It maximizes the resilience of the company, improves compliance with regulatory requirements and provides a clear competitive advantage through increased security and trustworthiness.