20 Nessus Interview Questions and Answers

Nessus is a popular network security scanner that is used by businesses and organizations to identify vulnerabilities in their systems. If you are interviewing for a position that involves Nessus, it is important to be prepared to answer questions about the tool. In this article, we review some of the most common Nessus interview questions and provide tips on how to answer them.

Nessus Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked Nessus interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What is Nessus?

Nessus is a network security scanner that is used to identify vulnerabilities in systems. It can be used to scan for vulnerabilities in both local and remote systems.

2. How does Nessus work?

Nessus is a network security scanner that is used to identify vulnerabilities in systems. It works by sending out packets of information and then analyzing the responses to see if there are any vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

3. Can you explain some of the key features of Nessus?

Some of the key features of Nessus include its ability to scan for a wide range of vulnerabilities, its ease of use, and its support for a variety of operating systems. Nessus is also highly configurable, so you can tailor your scans to focus on specific areas of concern.

4. What are the different types of plugins available in Nessus?

There are four different types of plugins available in Nessus:

– Policies: These plugins allow you to control how Nessus scans your systems. For example, you can use a policy plugin to tell Nessus to only scan for high severity vulnerabilities.
– Family Selection: These plugins allow you to select which vulnerability families you want Nessus to scan for.
– Individual Plugin Selection: These plugins allow you to select which individual plugins you want Nessus to use.
– Plugin Preference: These plugins allow you to control the order in which Nessus scans for vulnerabilities.

5. Is it possible to customize vulnerability checks with Nessus? If yes, then how?

Yes, it is possible to customize vulnerability checks with Nessus. You can do this by creating your own custom plugins or by modifying existing plugins.

6. What do you understand by credentialed scans and uncredentialed scans? Which one would you recommend in certain situations?

Credentialed scans are scans of a system or network that are performed using valid login credentials, while uncredentialed scans do not require any credentials. In general, credentialed scans are more accurate than uncredentialed scans, since the scanner has more information about the system it is scanning. However, credentialed scans can also be more intrusive, since they are essentially performing actions on the system as a logged-in user. As such, you would want to use a credentialed scan in situations where accuracy is more important than intrusion, such as when auditing a system for compliance purposes.

7. Can you give me an example where a port scan using Nessus has failed to detect certain vulnerabilities on a system?

There are a few potential reasons for this. One possibility is that the port scan was not configured properly and did not scan all of the necessary ports. Another possibility is that the system being scanned was configured to block Nessus scans, or was otherwise able to evade detection.

8. Why would you use scripting instead of actual scanning for your tests?

Scripting can be used to automate testing processes, which can be helpful if you need to run a large number of tests or if you need to regularly test for changes. Scripting can also be used to customize tests to fit your specific needs.

9. In what ways can we install Nessus on Linux?

Nessus can be installed on Linux in a few different ways. The most common way is to download the Nessus package from the Tenable website and then install it using the package manager of your choice. Alternatively, you can also install Nessus using the yum or apt repositories.

10. What is the best way to configure the network settings for Nessus?

The best way to configure the network settings for Nessus is to use a static IP address. This will ensure that the scanner can always reach the target systems and that the results are consistent.

11. What are some common challenges faced when using Nessus?

Some common challenges faced when using Nessus include:

– Ensuring that all relevant plugins are installed and up to date
– Configuring scans properly to avoid false positives and false negatives
– Interpretting scan results correctly

12. Is it possible to run multiple instances of Nessus simultaneously? If yes, then how?

Yes, it is possible to run multiple instances of Nessus simultaneously. To do this, you will need to create a new instance of Nessus for each scan that you want to run.

13. Is it possible to create custom report templates for Nessus? If yes, then how?

Yes, it is possible to create custom report templates for Nessus. You can do this by going into the “Reporting” tab and selecting the “Templates” option. From there, you can create a new template and select the fields that you want to include in the report.

14. What’s the difference between a passive and active scan in Nessus?

A passive scan is one in which the scanner does not interact with the target system in any way. The scanner simply observes the system and looks for signs of vulnerabilities. An active scan, on the other hand, involves the scanner actually interacting with the target system in order to test for vulnerabilities. This can be done in a number of ways, such as trying to exploit known vulnerabilities or sending malformed requests to the system in order to see how it responds.

15. What are the main differences between Nessus, OpenVAS, and Metasploit?

Nessus is a vulnerability scanner that is used to identify potential security issues in systems and applications. OpenVAS is an open source vulnerability scanner that is used to identify potential security issues in systems and applications. Metasploit is a penetration testing tool that can be used to exploit vulnerabilities in systems and applications.

16. What are the various levels of support provided by Tenable Network Security?

Tenable Network Security provides support at various levels, depending on the needs of the customer. For customers who need help getting started with Nessus, there is a free community support forum. For customers who need more comprehensive support, Tenable offers professional services packages that include access to a dedicated support team.

17. Where can I find the latest Nessus news?

The best place to find the latest Nessus news is on the Tenable Security blog. You can also follow Nessus on Twitter for updates.

18. What are some alternatives to Nessus?

Some alternatives to Nessus include:

-OpenVAS
-Nmap
-Wireshark
-Metasploit

19. What security tools should be used along with Nessus?

There are a few different security tools that can be used along with Nessus, depending on your specific needs. If you are looking for a tool to help with vulnerability management, then you might want to consider using OpenVAS. If you need a tool to help with intrusion detection, then you might want to consider using Snort. And if you need a tool to help with forensics, then you might want to consider using Autopsy.

20. Can you give me examples of specific cases where Nessus has been used to identify vulnerabilities in systems or applications?

Yes. Nessus has been used to find vulnerabilities in systems such as the Apache web server, Microsoft IIS web server, and various versions of the Windows operating system. It has also been used to find vulnerabilities in applications such as the Adobe Acrobat PDF reader and the Oracle database server.