Tenable has released version 5.0 of Nessus, its popular vulnerability scanner. The new version of the tool includes an updated installation wizard that is said to make installing and configuring the server and client easier and quicker than before. Scan policies can now be created substantially faster than with previous versions, and the developers have also improved the way users navigate through the results of a vulnerability audit.

The scanner's audit reports are now "fully customizable", so that separate reports can be created for administrators and executives. Nessus 5 includes almost 50,000 plugins for vulnerability scanning. It is available to download for Windows, Mac OS X and various Linux distributions; Nessus servers can also be controlled via iPhone and Android apps.

An overview of the new features in Nessus 5.0 is provided in a short YouTube video. The scanner is available free of charge for non-commercial use, but a valid email address is required to activate it. Professional users must purchase a licence for an annual fee of $1,200; this fee includes additional plugins for auditing SCADA systems.

See also:

Tenable Network Security Unveils Nessus 5.0 Vulnerability Scanner, press release from Tenable.

(crve)