TrustRadius Insights for Tenable Nessus are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.
Pros
Accurate Vulnerability Scans: Many users have praised Nessus for its ability to perform accurate vulnerability scans and provide precise findings. They have found it to be reliable in identifying vulnerabilities and delivering accurate assessments.
Multiple Profiles/Policies: Several reviewers appreciate that Nessus offers multiple profiles/policies for different types of scans, such as PCI-DSS, malware, web application, and bad shell shock detection scans. This flexibility allows users to tailor their scanning approach based on specific needs and compliance requirements.
Risk-based Classification: Users value the fact that Nessus classifies vulnerabilities into risk-based categories, ranging from critical to informational. This feature helps prioritize remediation efforts by focusing on the most severe vulnerabilities first. It sets Nessus apart from other vulnerability scanners that may not offer this level of categorization.
I have used Nessus for performing the vulnerability scans largely. It is largely used for doing vulnerability assessments and penetration testing activities. No matter if you are a security researcher or a security consultant working for some organization, Nessus is known to everyone and is a really helpful tool.
Pros
Nessus is best at performing vulnerability scans, in fact, it gives findings and moreover accurate findings of the assessments. It does not do penetration testing or exploit the vulnerabilities because it is concerned about scanning the systems/applications.
In fact, Nessus has multiple profiles/policies to perform different types of scans such as, scans oriented for PCI-DSS, malware scans, web application scans, bad shell shock detection scan to name a few.
Nessus has the ability to classify the vulnerabilities into risk-based categories from critical to even informational which I think is one of the things that separates Nessus from other vulnerability scanners.
Cons
Starting with the cost of Nessus, though it is available for free also it has some restrictions for the free version. Nessus essential which is a free version does not allow to perform internal/external PCI scan policies, config audits which I think is a drawback. As many security researchers, small organizations use this tool for vulnerability scans I think some additional features should be added into free version as Nessus professional version is not cost-friendly for everyone.
I think Nessus can improve the way it shows scan status while the scan is ongoing. Once scans are started and running, it sometimes failed to show exactly how much percent of scan is completed, for example, it shows scan status from 0% completed to 100% completed directly without showing the in-between completion percentage.
Likelihood to Recommend
Nessus is perfectly suitable for performing comprehensive vulnerability assessment scans being a vulnerability scanner. It is less appropriate for performing penetration testing since it is not a penetration testing tool, it does not have the ability and modules to exploit the vulnerabilities of the system.
Our company personnel are mostly depending on Nessus for performing vulnerability assessment on servers and Network Devices of clients, most of our clients are banking networks, government bodies looking for securing their networks and compliance in accordance with information security standards. Nessus is very advanced tool for mainly highlighting server's configuration level, software level issues and missing security patches and for network devices it lists any configuration issues, outdated practice or patches required for improvement of information security.
Pros
With Nessus we can find the missing critical patches for a server or workstations.
Nessus points out any vulnerable or outdated software Technologies used in the system, thus eliminating any chances for security flaws being turned up.
Nessus typically points any configuration level issues in accordance with the OWASP guidelines. Even the configuration of SSL related which are most of the time handled by some vendors or 3rd parties.
Nessus not only lists out these Vulnerabilities but describes clearly the vulnerabilities in details with its thousands of plugins updated regularly, the tool also recommends solution with practical details of easy implementation.
Cons
The tool has lots of options for setting up before scanning any device, this methodology could be simplified further with default configuration for various devices predefined, anyhow we can use this technique by making use of policies.
For advanced users we cannot disable the plugins inside the plugin groups, we can enable the whole set of plugins at a time, for few hundreds its ok, but thousands of plugins are of waste of resource and time.
Likelihood to Recommend
Nessus is quite suitable foe any network devices like switches, routers, firewalls or proxy, for different servers also the tool is very operable, it has plugins for almost every operating system and managed devices, only thing is before using on to the intended device the tool should be updated which takes much time to compile plugins.
