Nessus

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Nessus Skill Overview

Welcome to the Nessus Skill page. You can use this skill
template as is or customize it to fit your needs and environment.

Category:

Description

Nessus is a widely-used vulnerability assessment tool designed to help organizations identify and manage security risks within their IT infrastructure. It scans systems, networks, and applications for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues, providing detailed reports that prioritize risks and suggest remediation steps. With features like customizable scan policies, integration with other security tools, and advanced reporting capabilities, Nessus enables users to proactively secure their environments. Whether you're performing basic scans or conducting in-depth security assessments, Nessus offers a comprehensive solution for maintaining robust cybersecurity defenses. Its user-friendly interface and extensive documentation make it accessible for both beginners and experienced security professionals.

Expected Behaviors

Fundamental Awareness
At the fundamental awareness level, individuals are expected to understand the basic interface and navigation of Nessus, perform basic installation and setup, create and manage user accounts, run basic vulnerability scans, and interpret basic scan results.
Novice
Novices should be able to configure scan policies, schedule scans, use Nessus templates for different scan types, export scan results in various formats, and troubleshoot common issues.
Intermediate
Intermediate users are expected to customize scan policies for specific environments, integrate Nessus with other security tools, analyze scan results for false positives, create custom plugins, and perform credentialed scans.
Advanced
Advanced users should be proficient in advanced scan configuration and optimization, automating scans using scripts and APIs, conducting compliance checks, developing and maintaining a scanning strategy, and performing advanced troubleshooting and performance tuning.
Expert
Experts are expected to design and implement enterprise-wide Nessus deployments, develop custom reporting and dashboards, integrate Nessus with SIEM solutions, conduct advanced threat hunting, and train and mentor others on best practices.

Micro Skills

Fundamental Awareness20 micro skills • 1 months work experience

Identifying main dashboard components

Navigating through different tabs and sections

Understanding the purpose of each menu item

Locating help and support resources within the interface

Downloading Nessus installer from the official website

Running the installer on supported operating systems

Completing initial configuration steps

Activating Nessus with a valid license key

Accessing the user management section

Adding new user accounts

Assigning roles and permissions to users

Editing and deleting existing user accounts

Selecting a scan template

Configuring target IP addresses or ranges

Starting the scan

Monitoring scan progress

Accessing completed scan reports

Understanding the severity levels of vulnerabilities

Reviewing detailed vulnerability descriptions

Identifying affected hosts and services

Novice25 micro skills • 3 months work experience

Selecting appropriate scan templates

Adjusting scan settings for performance

Setting up scan exclusions

Configuring scan credentials

Saving and reusing scan policies

Setting up one-time scans

Configuring recurring scans

Managing scan schedules

Adjusting scan windows to minimize impact

Notifying stakeholders of scheduled scans

Understanding different scan templates

Selecting the right template for the task

Customizing templates for specific needs

Saving customized templates

Sharing templates with team members

Choosing export formats (PDF, CSV, etc.)

Customizing report content

Automating report exports

Securing exported reports

Distributing reports to stakeholders

Identifying common error messages

Checking network connectivity

Verifying scan configurations

Consulting Nessus documentation

Contacting support for unresolved issues

Intermediate25 micro skills • 6 months work experience

Identifying environment-specific vulnerabilities

Adjusting scan settings for performance optimization

Configuring scan exclusions and inclusions

Setting up environment-specific credentials

Testing and validating customized scan policies

Understanding API integration capabilities

Configuring API keys and access permissions

Setting up data export to SIEM solutions

Automating data import from other security tools

Monitoring and troubleshooting integration issues

Identifying common false positive indicators

Cross-referencing scan results with other data sources

Using manual verification techniques

Documenting and reporting false positives

Updating scan policies to reduce false positives

Understanding the Nessus plugin architecture

Writing scripts in Nessus-supported languages

Testing and debugging custom plugins

Deploying custom plugins in Nessus

Maintaining and updating custom plugins

Setting up and managing credentials securely

Configuring Nessus to use credentials during scans

Validating credentialed scan results

Troubleshooting credential-related issues

Optimizing credentialed scan performance

Advanced24 micro skills • 12 months work experience

Configuring scan exclusions

Tuning scan sensitivity

Optimizing scan schedules to minimize network impact

Utilizing advanced scan options

Writing scripts to automate scan initiation

Using Nessus REST API for scan management

Scheduling automated scans via cron jobs

Parsing and processing scan results programmatically

Integrating automated scans into CI/CD pipelines

Configuring compliance scan policies

Interpreting compliance scan results

Mapping compliance results to regulatory requirements

Generating compliance reports

Customizing compliance checks

Assessing organizational scanning needs

Defining scanning objectives and goals

Creating a scanning schedule

Documenting scanning procedures

Reviewing and updating the scanning strategy regularly

Diagnosing scan failures

Resolving connectivity issues

Analyzing scan logs for errors

Improving scan performance through configuration changes

Engaging with Nessus support for complex issues

Expert25 micro skills • 24 months work experience

Assessing organizational needs and requirements

Planning deployment architecture

Configuring Nessus Manager and Agents

Ensuring network compatibility and security

Testing and validating deployment

Identifying key metrics and KPIs

Using Nessus API for data extraction

Creating custom report templates

Integrating with third-party visualization tools

Automating report generation and distribution

Understanding SIEM integration requirements

Configuring Nessus to send data to SIEM

Mapping Nessus data fields to SIEM

Setting up alerts and notifications in SIEM

Validating and troubleshooting integration

Identifying advanced threat indicators

Configuring scans for specific threat detection

Analyzing scan results for threat patterns

Correlating Nessus data with other threat intelligence

Documenting and reporting findings

Developing training materials and resources

Conducting hands-on training sessions

Providing ongoing support and guidance

Evaluating trainee progress and feedback

Updating training content based on new features and updates

Tech Experts

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