Export a Scan

You can export a scan from one Nessus scanner and import it to a different Nessus scanner. This helps you manage your scan results, compare reports, back up reports, and facilitates communication between groups within an organization. For more information, see Import a Scan and Import a Policy.

You can export scan results as a Nessus file or as a Nessus DB file. For more information, see Scan Exports and Reports.

For Nessus files, if you modified scan results using plugin rules or by modifying a vulnerability (for example, you hid or changed the severity of a plugin), the exported scan does not reflect these modifications.

To export a scan:

  1. In the top navigation bar, click Scans.

    The My Scans page appears.

  2. Click a scan.

    The scan's results page appears.

  3. In the upper-right corner, click Export.
  4. From the drop-down box, select the format in which you want to export the scan results.

    • If you select Nessus, Nessus exports the .nessus XML file.
    • If you select Nessus DB, the Export as Nessus DB dialog box appears.
      1. Type a password to protect the file.

        When you import the Nessus DB file to another scanner, you must enter this password.

      2. Click Export.

        Nessus exports the Nessus DB file.

    • If you select Policy, Nessus exports an informational JSON file that contains the scan policy details.
    • If you select Timing Data, Nessus exports an information CSV file that contains the scan hostname, IP, FQDN, scan start and end times, and the scan duration in seconds.