Practical Nessus Vulnerability Scanning | Udemy

Course Description:

Are you ready to master one of the most powerful tools in vulnerability assessment?
Welcome to Practical Nessus Vulnerability Scanning — a comprehensive, hands-on course designed to teach you how to effectively use Tenable Nessus, the industry-leading vulnerability scanner used by cybersecurity professionals around the world.

Whether you’re a cybersecurity beginner, network administrator, or a security analyst preparing for certifications like CEH, Security+, or OSCP, this course will help you build real-world skills to identify, assess, and report vulnerabilities in any environment.

You’ll gain hands-on experience by building a real-world lab using EVE-NG, configuring vulnerable targets, and performing both credentialed and non-credentialed scans. This course equips you with practical skills to identify, analyze, and mitigate vulnerabilities across a variety of operating systems and network devices.

Who This Course is For:

• Cybersecurity students and IT professionals looking to upskill
• Ethical hackers, SOC analysts, and penetration testers
• Network/system admins who want to enhance their organization’s security
• Anyone interested in learning Nessus through real-world, practical examples

What You’ll Learn:

Introduction & Fundamentals:
Start by understanding the core concepts of vulnerabilities and vulnerability management. Learn about the lifecycle of vulnerability handling, common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE), and how to interpret risk using the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). Dive into the Nessus ecosystem, exploring its product editions and licensing options.

Lab Environment Setup with EVE-NG:
Gain practical experience by setting up a full virtual lab environment using EVE-NG. You’ll install and configure Kali Linux, switches, Nessus lab images, and firewalls to simulate a realistic network topology — the perfect playground to test and scan.

Installing Nessus:
Get step-by-step guidance on obtaining the Nessus Essentials license and installing Nessus on multiple platforms, including Windows 11, Ubuntu Linux, and Kali Linux. Explore the web interface to get comfortable with its features and navigation.

Scanning & Analysis:
Master Nessus scanning with detailed lessons on scan templates, severity levels, and different scanning methods. Perform discovery scans like ping-only and host discovery, as well as OS identification. Understand the critical difference between credentialed and non-credentialed scans through practical labs.

Advanced Scanning:
Advance your skills with complex scanning techniques including Active Directory, FortiGate firewalls, and Cisco switches vulnerability assessments. Explore dynamic scans tailored for large and diverse networks.

By the end of this course, you’ll confidently perform vulnerability assessments using Nessus, interpret results accurately, and apply your skills in real-world security environments.