diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_HORNET.yml b/.github/workflows/build_HORNET.yml
index dc06c5ce8..b6f1b547f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_HORNET.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_HORNET.yml
@@ -14,17 +14,17 @@ jobs:
     name: Build HORNET
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
+      - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Set up Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: "1.21"
-        id: go
+          go-version-file: 'go.mod'
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Print Go version
         run: go version
 
-      - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-
       - name: Build HORNET
         run: go build -v .
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_docker.yml b/.github/workflows/build_docker.yml
index 37f28ebf6..6646a168a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_docker.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Build HORNET Docker image
         run: docker build . --file Dockerfile --tag hornet:latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql_analysis.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql_analysis.yml
index e1846983b..75648cdb8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql_analysis.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql_analysis.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           ref: develop
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/gendoc.yml b/.github/workflows/gendoc.yml
index 22e4876c8..28d667d2b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gendoc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gendoc.yml
@@ -9,24 +9,24 @@ jobs:
   gendoc:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
+      - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Set up Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: "1.21"
-        id: go
+          go-version-file: 'go.mod'
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Print Go version
         run: go version
 
-      - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-
       - name: Run gendoc
         working-directory: tools/gendoc
         run: go mod tidy && go run main.go
 
       - name: Create Pull Request
-        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v5
+        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v6
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           title: "chore(gendoc): update docs"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
index ebc0b7e90..af3a5a913 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: golangci-lint
         uses: reviewdog/action-golangci-lint@v2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/integration_tests.yml
index 11c5b3684..f219913b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration_tests.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Build HORNET image
         run: docker build -f Dockerfile -t hornet:dev .
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Save logs as artifacts
         if: always()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: ${{ env.TEST_NAME }}
           path: integration-tests/logs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Build HORNET image
         run: docker build -f Dockerfile -t hornet:dev .
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Save logs as artifacts
         if: always()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: ${{ env.TEST_NAME }}
           path: integration-tests/logs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Build HORNET image
         run: docker build -f Dockerfile -t hornet:dev .
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Save logs as artifacts
         if: always()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: ${{ env.TEST_NAME }}
           path: integration-tests/logs
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Build HORNET image
         run: docker build -f Dockerfile -t hornet:dev .
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Save logs as artifacts
         if: always()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: ${{ env.TEST_NAME }}
           path: integration-tests/logs
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Build HORNET image
         run: docker build -f Dockerfile -t hornet:dev .
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Save logs as artifacts
         if: always()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: ${{ env.TEST_NAME }}
           path: integration-tests/logs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 9b925dd8b..78f1df337 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -11,17 +11,17 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Set up QEMU
-        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v2
+        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
 
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
-        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v2
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
       - name: Docker meta
         id: meta
-        uses: docker/metadata-action@v4
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
         with:
           images: iotaledger/hornet
           tags: |
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@ jobs:
             type=match,pattern=v(\d+.\d+),suffix=-rc,group=1,enable=${{ contains(github.ref, '-rc') }}
 
       - name: Login to DockerHub
-        uses: docker/login-action@v2
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
         with:
           username: ${{ secrets.IOTALEDGER_DOCKER_USERNAME }}
           password: ${{ secrets.IOTALEDGER_DOCKER_PASSWORD }}
 
       - name: Build and push to Dockerhub
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v3
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
         with:
           file: ./Dockerfile
           platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
           file_path: private_tangle.tar.gz
 
       - name: Upload private_tangle.tar.gz file
-        uses: Shopify/upload-to-release@v1.0.1
+        uses: Shopify/upload-to-release@v2
         with:
           name: HORNET-${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}-private_tangle.tar.gz
           path: private_tangle.tar.gz
@@ -77,17 +77,17 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Set up QEMU
-        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v2
+        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
 
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
-        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v2
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
       - name: Docker meta
         id: meta
-        uses: docker/metadata-action@v4
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
         with:
           images: iotaledger/hornet-nest
           tags: |
@@ -99,13 +99,13 @@ jobs:
             type=match,pattern=v(\d+.\d+),suffix=-rc,group=1,enable=${{ contains(github.ref, '-rc') }}
 
       - name: Login to DockerHub
-        uses: docker/login-action@v2
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
         with:
           username: ${{ secrets.IOTALEDGER_DOCKER_USERNAME }}
           password: ${{ secrets.IOTALEDGER_DOCKER_PASSWORD }}
 
       - name: Build and push to Dockerhub
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v4
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
         with:
           context: ./hornet-nest
           platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
diff --git a/.github/workflows/snyk-test.yml b/.github/workflows/snyk-test.yml
index 5fe5bf063..30c7e20e4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/snyk-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/snyk-test.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           ref: develop
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ jobs:
         run: docker build . --file Dockerfile --tag hornet:latest
 
       - name: Run Snyk to check for Golang vulnerabilities
-        uses: snyk/actions/golang@0.3.0
+        uses: snyk/actions/golang@0.4.0
         continue-on-error: true
         env:
           SNYK_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SNYK_TOKEN }}
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ jobs:
           args: --org=gohornet --sarif-file-output=snyk-golang.sarif
 
       - name: Run Snyk to check for Docker image vulnerabilities
-        uses: snyk/actions/docker@0.3.0
+        uses: snyk/actions/docker@0.4.0
         continue-on-error: true
         env:
           SNYK_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SNYK_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_HORNET.yml b/.github/workflows/test_HORNET.yml
index 9b21e18d0..dddb1d82d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_HORNET.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_HORNET.yml
@@ -14,11 +14,14 @@ jobs:
     name: Test HORNET
     runs-on: self-hosted
     steps:
+      - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Set up Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: "1.21"
-        id: go
+          go-version-file: 'go.mod'
+          cache: false
 
       - name: Print Go version
         run: go version
@@ -26,11 +29,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Build Essential
         run: sudo apt update && sudo apt install build-essential -y
 
-      - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-
       - name: Test HORNET
-        uses: nick-invision/retry@v2
+        uses: nick-invision/retry@v3
         with:
           timeout_minutes: 5
           max_attempts: 3