Tenable Nessus
Tenable Nessus is a widely-used vulnerability scanner that identifies security weaknesses, misconfigurations, and compliance issues in networks, systems, and applications. It performs automated scans to detect vulnerabilities like missing patches, default passwords, and open ports, generating detailed reports for remediation. Originally an open-source tool, it is now a commercial product by Tenable, Inc., known for its extensive plugin library and regular updates.
Developers and security professionals should learn Nessus for proactive security assessments, such as penetration testing, vulnerability management, and compliance auditing (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA). It is essential in roles like security analyst, DevOps engineer, or IT auditor to automate scans, prioritize risks, and ensure systems are hardened against attacks. Use cases include pre-deployment checks, continuous monitoring in CI/CD pipelines, and incident response investigations.