diff --git a/.github/CODEOWNERS b/.github/CODEOWNERS
index bb0769c8b38..a33cbd65161 100644
--- a/.github/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/.github/CODEOWNERS
@@ -1 +1 @@
-*      @checkmarx/kics
+*      @Checkmarx/cx-maintainers-kics
diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml
index 0fe18879489..28aa36905ec 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   prepare-release:
     name: prepare for next release
+    environment: release
     runs-on: cx-public-ubuntu-x64
     permissions:
       contents: write  # for actions/checkout to fetch code and create-pull-request to push a branch
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-dkr-image.yml b/.github/workflows/release-dkr-image.yml
index 78ef8ff937d..d236bcd0fa6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-dkr-image.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-dkr-image.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 name: release-docker-image
 
 on:
-  release:
-    types: [created, published]
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 concurrency:
@@ -15,8 +13,8 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   push_to_registry:
     name: Push Docker image to Docker Hub
+    environment: release
     runs-on: cx-public-ubuntu-x64
-    if: "!github.event.release.prerelease"
     permissions:
       contents: read
       id-token: write  # required to request the GitHub OIDC token exchanged with Docker Hub's OIDC login
@@ -56,7 +54,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Login to DockerHub
         uses: step-security/docker-login-action@bd6978fd4ef9a5f78130095b298b8a721afcb0d8 # v4.5.1
         with:
-          username: checkmarx
+          username: ${{ vars.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }}
         env:
           DOCKERHUB_OIDC_CONNECTIONID: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_OIDC_CONNECTIONID }}
       - name: Get current date
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-docs-queries.yaml b/.github/workflows/update-docs-queries.yaml
index d0138b1fe5d..8ba1928a5f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-docs-queries.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-docs-queries.yaml
@@ -2,12 +2,6 @@ name: update-queries-docs
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
-  push:
-    branches: [master]
-    paths:
-      - "assets/queries/**/metadata.json"
-      - "assets/queries/**/test/**"
-      - ".github/scripts/docs-generator/**"
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -19,6 +13,7 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   update-docs:
     name: Update queries documentation
+    environment: release
     permissions:
       actions: write  # for styfle/cancel-workflow-action to cancel/stop running workflows
       contents: write  # for actions/checkout to fetch code and create-pull-request to push a branch
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-docs-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/update-docs-release.yaml
index 0c3f025003c..2ce00c8f906 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-docs-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-docs-release.yaml
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ name: update-docs-release
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
-  release:
-    type: [published]
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -15,11 +13,11 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   update-docs-release:
     name: Create new docs version
+    environment: release
     permissions:
       actions: write  # for styfle/cancel-workflow-action to cancel/stop running workflows
       contents: write  # for Git to git push
     runs-on: cx-public-ubuntu-x64
-    if: "!github.event.release.prerelease"
     steps:
       - name: Cancel Previous Runs
         uses: styfle/cancel-workflow-action@85880fa0301c86cca9da44039ee3bb12d3bedbfa # 0.12.1