DeRISK QVM: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management for Manufacturing

Rethink OT Vulnerability Management with Quantified Risk 

Manufacturers can’t afford generic patch lists. In OT environments—where downtime hits revenue and safety—risk-based vulnerability management outperforms CVSS & EPSS-only sorting. This guide explains how DeRisk Quantified Vulnerability Management (QVM) helps CISOs and OT security leaders prioritize by business impact, not just technical severity. 

The Problem with CVE Lists in OT 

• Maintenance windows are scarce and patching can disrupt production, or not be available at all.
• A “critical” score doesn’t reflect exploit likelihood, asset criticality or business criticality.
• Teams waste time on low-impact issues while high-risk exposures persist.

What “Risk-Based” Actually Means 

Risk = likelihood × impact. For vulnerabilities, that means blending: 

• Exploit likelihood (e.g., CVSS, EPSS, threat intel, active exploits)
• Asset criticality (process importance, safety, revenue)
• Exposure/attack path (network reachability, cybersecurity controls)
• Business impact (modeled financial loss if exploited)

How DeRISK^TM QVM Works (Step-by-Step) 

Manufacturing Use Case (EU + US Sites) 

A global manufacturer assessed two sites—one in Europe, one in the U.S. Instead of sorting by CVSS & EPSS alone, DeRISK^TMQVM identified the highest financial risks and guided limited maintenance windows toward the most impactful fixes. 

Example Findings (anonymized, modeled) 

Before/After 

Before: Long CVE list by severity; little clarity on business impact. 

After: 3 CVEs addressed remove ~68% of modeled risk at the US site in one maintenance window—without touching low-impact items. 

CVSS vs EPSS vs Risk-Based: What to Use When 

Outcomes & KPIs to Track 

• Risk reduced ($): delta in modeled exposure post-remediation
• High-risk exposure reduction: % of top-decile items addressed
• Mean time to remediate (MTT-R): prioritized items only
• Actions without patch: % risk reduced via compensating controls
• Time-to-decision: from detection → scheduled change

Implementation Considerations in OT 

• Maintenance windows: Coordinate with production; batch changes.
• Vendor constraints: Respect warranties; use vendor-approved mitigations.
• Compensating controls: Network segmentation, allowlists, monitoring.
• Safety & quality: Align with plant SOPs and change control.

Ready to align remediation with business impact? Click here book a DeRISK^TM QVM demo and see DeRISK^TM  QVM in action.   

FAQs 

1. What is risk-based vulnerability management?

It’s the practice of prioritizing vulnerabilities by likelihood of exploit and business impact, not just technical severity. 

2. EPSS vs CVSS—what’s the difference?

CVSS measures technical severity; EPSS estimates exploit probability. DeRISK^TM QVM uses both alongside asset criticality and financial impact modeling. 

3. How do I prioritize CVEs when patching is hard in OT?

Use DeRISK^TM QVM to target the highest-risk items first and apply compensating controls (segmentation, tuning, monitoring) when patching must wait. 

4. How do you quantify the business impact of a CVE?

DeRISK^TM QVM models potential loss using downtime costs, asset criticality, CVSS & EPSS-weighted likelihood, and exposure paths over a defined time horizon. 

5. What metrics should CISOs track?

Modeled risk reduced ($), MTT-Remediate for prioritized items, percent of high-risk exposure reduced, and percent of risk reduced without patch. 

DeNexus is thrilled to offer you a complimentary VIP pass to the 10th annual ManuSec USA — Cyber Security for Critical Manufacturing, taking place October 14–15, 2025 in Chicago, IL.

Click here to claim your VIP Pass (Use VIP Code: DENEXUS) and see DeRisk-QVM in action