Vulnerability management is a critical component of securing IT operations, yet it presents challenges due to the vast number of potential vulnerabilities and the rapid pace of modern software delivery. Many organizations struggle to maintain an accurate, real-time inventory of applications and code libraries, with only a quarter of security teams achieving this according to a 2022 research report. Managing vulnerabilities involves identifying and addressing weaknesses in applications and IT infrastructure to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches, a task made more complex by the abundance of known vulnerabilities, as highlighted by the U.S. National Vulnerability Database. Effective vulnerability management should encompass the entire software development lifecycle, incorporating static analysis during development and runtime scans to catch vulnerabilities that appear in production environments. Automation and AI can enhance this process by enabling timely detection and prioritization of vulnerabilities without compromising system performance. Tools like Dynatrace Application Security leverage AI to provide real-time risk assessments and automated scanning, helping organizations manage vulnerabilities efficiently across their tech stacks. The importance of such practices has been underscored by incidents like Log4Shell, which revealed the critical need for comprehensive vulnerability detection and management strategies.