Using Operational Technology Vulnerability Response

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Using Operational Technology Vulnerability Response

    The Operational Technology Vulnerability Response (OTVR) application, accessible through the Industrial Workspace, helps ServiceNow customers manage vulnerabilities in their OT environments. After completing setup tasks such as importing vulnerable items via third-party integrations, customers can track, assess, and remediate vulnerabilities associated with OT devices and equipment models.

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    Key Features

    • Industrial Workspace Access: Centralized landing page and menus provide streamlined navigation for managing OT vulnerabilities.
    • OTVR (PA) Dashboard: Enables tracking of vulnerable items from detection through containment or remediation, with filters for assignment groups, exploits, risk ratings, and states to analyze exposure and impacted services.
    • OT Vulnerability Risk Rollup Dashboard: Displays vulnerability risk scores for equipment model entities and OT devices without assigned sites, giving insight into overall risk posture.
    • List Menu: Allows viewing of OT Vulnerable Items and remediation tasks assigned to users or groups, including exception requests and histories through activity and compose windows for notes and comments.
    • Equipment Model Manager: Supports viewing and creating remediation tasks linked to OT devices mapped to equipment models.
    • Hardware Vulnerability Assessment: Manages firmware vulnerability assessments for OT devices, with tabs for matched, partially matched, ignored, and normalization-pending assessments to maintain accurate vulnerability data.
    • View Vulnerable Items and Solutions: Provides access to preferred and alternative solutions via OT Vulnerability Solution Management within the workspace.
    • Vulnerability Exceptions: Allows requesting OT administrators to mark vulnerable items as exceptions, facilitating risk management when immediate remediation is not possible.
    • Remediation Task Management: Enables creation, scheduling (using equipment model entity time slots), splitting, viewing, and deferring of remediation tasks to address vulnerabilities effectively.
    • Compensating Controls: Supports implementation of alternative security measures when vulnerabilities cannot be patched immediately, maintaining operational security.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By leveraging the Operational Technology Vulnerability Response application, customers can systematically monitor and manage OT vulnerabilities, prioritize remediation efforts based on risk and exposure, and maintain accurate vulnerability assessments. The integration with equipment models and firmware assessments helps ensure comprehensive coverage of OT assets. Features for scheduling and deferring remediation tasks provide flexibility in managing operational constraints, while exception handling and compensating controls enable secure risk acceptance when immediate fixes are not feasible. Overall, this solution empowers organizations to enhance the security and resilience of their OT environments through structured vulnerability response workflows.

    After you complete all required set up tasks, including importing vulnerable items from a third-party integration, you can use the Operational Technology Vulnerability Response application from the Industrial Workspace.

    Industrial Workspace

    To use Operational Technology Vulnerability Response, access the following landing page and menus from the Industrial Workspace.

    For more information on the Industrial Workspace, see Industrial Workspace.

    OTVR (PA) dashboard in the Industrial Workspace

    Use the OTVR (PA) dashboard to track the volume, performance, and progress of your vulnerable items from the initial analysis and detection to the containment, or remediation. You can filter the reports by the assignment group, exploits, risk rating, or state to get insight into your vulnerability exposure and the services that are affected.

    For more information about the OTVR (PA) dashboard, see Operational Technology Vulnerability Response (PA) dashboard

    OT Vulnerability Risk Rollup dashboard overview

    The Operational Technology (OT) Vulnerability Risk Rollup dashboard contains two tables for your vulnerability risk scores.
    • Vulnerability risk table for your equipment model entities
    • Vulnerability risk table for OT devices with no site assigned

    List menu

    Use the List menu to view all OT Vulnerable Item records that you have access to and remediation tasks that have either been assigned to you or to an assignment group that you are a member of.
    • OT Remediation Tasks
      • Assigned to me
      • Assigned to my groups
    • OT Vulnerable Items
      • Assigned to me
      • Assigned to my groups
      • My Exception Requests
      • All Exceptions
        Note:
        The All Exceptions list also shows exceptions with a Rejected state.

    Navigate to records under the OT Remediation Tasks or OT Vulnerable Items list menus to get more OT-related context. To view the history of the record, you can view the Activity window in the record where various work notes, comments, and record updates are captured. You can also add new comments or work notes in the Compose window.

    For more information about remediation tasks, see Create a remediation task.

    For more information on how to use the List view in the Industrial Workspace for Operational Technology Vulnerability Response, see Use the List view in the IT Remediation Workspace.

    Equipment model menu

    Use the Equipment Model Manager to view OT vulnerable items, and view and create remediation tasks associated with OT devices that are mapped to an equipment model entity.

    Hardware Vulnerability Assessment

    Use the Hardware Vulnerability Assessment menu to view and manage the vulnerabilities assessments that have performed on the firmwares of the OT devices in the inventory.

    Use the following tabs in the Hardware Vulnerability Assessment menu to view all the assessments records and the vulnerable items that are created automatically:
    • Fully matched assessments
    • Partially matched assessments
    • Vulnerable items
    • Ignored assessments
    • Awaiting Normalization