Get Started with Tenable Nessus

Tip: For additional information on Tenable Nessus, review the following customer education materials:

Prepare

  1. Ensure that your setup meets the minimum system requirements:

  2. Obtain your Activation Code for Tenable Nessus.

Install and Configure Tenable Nessus

  1. Follow the installation steps depending on your Tenable Nessus software and operating system, as described in Install Tenable Nessus.

  2. Perform the initial configuration steps.

Create and Configure Scans

  1. Run a host discovery scan to identify assets on your network.
  2. Create a scan.
  3. Select a scan template that fits your needs.

    When you configure a Tenable-provided scan template, you can modify only the settings included for the scan template type. When you create a user-defined scan template, you can modify a custom set of settings for your scan. Tenable sometimes refers to a user-defined template as a policy.

  4. Configure the scan:
    • Configure the scan settings available for your template.

      For information about scan targets, see Scan Targets.

    • (Optional) To configure live results, see Live Results.
    • (Optional) If you are running a credentialed scan, configure credentials.
    • (Optional) If you are running a compliance scan, select the compliance audits your scan includes.
    • (Optional) If you are using an advanced scan template, select what plugins your scan includes.
  5. Launch the scan.

View and Analyze Scan Results

Refine Tenable Nessus Settings