Nessus Professional (PRO) is the premium version of the Nessus vulnerability scanner, designed for advanced use cases and tailored to professionals requiring more robust vulnerability management features. Here are four standout Nessus PRO-only features that elevate its capabilities beyond the free or limited versions.
1. Unlimited Scanning
In Nessus PRO, you can perform unlimited scans across an unrestricted number of IPs. This is critical for organizations that manage large or dynamic environments, as there are no limitations on:
- The number of hosts you can scan.
- The number of scan schedules or concurrent scans.
This flexibility is particularly useful for continuous vulnerability management and auditing larger infrastructures. Unlike the free version, which is restricted to a limited number of IPs, Nessus PRO enables unrestricted scaling.
2. Advanced Reporting and Exporting
Nessus PRO offers advanced reporting capabilities that allow you to:
- Generate customized reports tailored to your stakeholders (e.g., management vs. technical teams).
- Export reports in multiple formats such as PDF, HTML, CSV, and XML.
- Include detailed remediation steps directly in the report, simplifying the process for remediation teams.
Additionally, you can filter reports by vulnerability severity, affected systems, or specific compliance standards, ensuring that the output aligns with your organization’s specific needs.
3. Compliance Auditing
Nessus PRO provides compliance-specific templates and plugins for auditing against regulatory frameworks such as:
- PCI DSS
- HIPAA
- CIS Benchmarks
- ISO 27001
- NIST Standards
With Nessus PRO, you can:
- Perform compliance-specific scans to evaluate adherence to these standards.
- Generate compliance reports, highlighting areas of non-compliance and offering remediation guidance.
- Leverage custom audit files for proprietary or internal compliance checks.
These features make Nessus PRO indispensable for organizations in regulated industries that must regularly validate their security posture against stringent standards.
4. Credentialed and Agent-Based Scanning
Nessus PRO excels in credentialed scanning, allowing deeper and more accurate vulnerability assessments by logging into systems with provided credentials. This enables:
- Detection of vulnerabilities in applications, services, and configurations that are not exposed externally.
- Reduced false positives by validating findings from inside the target system.
In addition, Nessus PRO supports agent-based scanning for environments where direct network access is restricted or impractical, such as:
- Remote endpoints.
- Air-gapped networks.
- Cloud-based or hybrid environments.
Agents can be deployed on endpoints to collect data locally and relay it back to Nessus PRO for centralized analysis. This capability is particularly beneficial for scanning systems in dynamic or distributed networks.
Why These Features Matter
These four features make Nessus PRO a superior choice for organizations that require:
- Scalability: The ability to scan vast infrastructures without restrictions.
- Advanced Insights: Granular reporting and in-depth scanning using credentials or agents.
- Regulatory Compliance: Tools specifically designed to meet compliance requirements.
- Comprehensive Scanning: Deep vulnerability analysis that covers configurations, applications, and more.
While Nessus Essentials and free versions are sufficient for small environments or learning purposes, PRO is tailored for professional use cases, making it a critical asset for enterprises and managed service providers.
