1. What is the primary purpose of Nessus?
• A) Network monitoring
• B) Vulnerability scanning and assessment
• C) Firewall management
• D) Antivirus protection
ANSWER : B - Nessus is primarily designed for vulnerability scanning and
assessment to identify security weaknesses in systems and networks.
2. Which protocol does Nessus primarily use for authenticated scans on
Windows systems?
• A) SSH
• B) SMB/WMI
• C) SNMP
• D) Telnet
ANSWER : B - Nessus uses SMB (Server Message Block) and WMI
(Windows Management Instrumentation) for authenticated Windows scans.
3. What is a plugin in Nessus?
• A) A hardware component
• B) A script that checks for specific vulnerabilities
• C) A network protocol
• D) A user interface module
ANSWER : B - Plugins are individual scripts or checks that test for specific
vulnerabilities or security issues.
4. How often are Nessus plugins typically updated?
• A) Monthly
, • B) Quarterly
• C) Daily
• D) Yearly
ANSWER : C - Tenable updates Nessus plugins daily to address newly
discovered vulnerabilities.
5. What port does Nessus use by default for its web interface?
• A) 443
• B) 8080
• C) 8834
• D) 3389
ANSWER : C - Nessus uses port 8834 for its web-based user interface by
default.
6. Which scan type provides the most comprehensive vulnerability
information?
• A) Basic network scan
• B) Credentialed scan
• C) Ping scan
• D) Port scan only
ANSWER : B - Credentialed scans provide the most detailed information by
authenticating to systems and examining them internally.
7. What is the maximum number of IPs that can be scanned with Nessus
Professional?
• A) 16
• B) 64
• C) 256
• D) Unlimited
ANSWER : D - Nessus Professional has no IP limitation, unlike Nessus
Essentials which is limited to 16 IPs.
8. Which file format is used to export Nessus scan results?
, • A) .doc only
• B) .nessus, .pdf, .csv, .html
• C) .xml only
• D) .txt only
ANSWER : B - Nessus supports multiple export formats including .nessus
(native), PDF, CSV, and HTML.
9. What is the purpose of a compliance scan in Nessus?
• A) To check network speed
• B) To verify adherence to security standards and policies
• C) To update software
• D) To monitor bandwidth
ANSWER : B - Compliance scans verify that systems meet specific security
standards, benchmarks, or regulatory requirements.
10. Which operating systems can Nessus be installed on?
• A) Windows only
• B) Linux only
• C) Windows, Linux, macOS, and others
• D) macOS only
ANSWER : C - Nessus is cross-platform and can be installed on Windows,
various Linux distributions, macOS, and other systems.
11. What does CVSS stand for in vulnerability management?
• A) Common Vulnerability Scoring System
• B) Central Virus Security Service
• C) Comprehensive Vulnerability Security Standard
• D) Critical Vulnerability Scanning Solution
ANSWER : A - CVSS is the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, a
standardized method for rating vulnerability severity.
12. What is the range of CVSS scores?
• A) 1-5
, • B) 0-10
• C) 1-100
• D) A-F
ANSWER : B - CVSS scores range from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most
severe.
13. What privilege level is required to install Nessus on Linux?
• A) Standard user
• B) Root or sudo privileges
• C) Guest account
• D) No privileges needed
ANSWER : B - Root or sudo privileges are required to install Nessus on Linux
systems.
14. Which scan template would you use for PCI DSS compliance?
• A) Basic Network Scan
• B) Advanced Scan
• C) PCI Quarterly External Scan
• D) Host Discovery
ANSWER : C - The PCI Quarterly External Scan template is specifically
designed for PCI DSS compliance requirements.
15. What is a safe check in Nessus?
• A) A scan that doesn't check for vulnerabilities
• B) A check that doesn't exploit vulnerabilities or cause harm
• C) A scan that only runs during business hours
• D) A manual verification process
ANSWER : B - Safe checks detect vulnerabilities without exploiting them or
potentially disrupting services.
16. How do you activate a Nessus license?
• A) Through command line only
• B) Via the web interface during initial setup
• A) Network monitoring
• B) Vulnerability scanning and assessment
• C) Firewall management
• D) Antivirus protection
ANSWER : B - Nessus is primarily designed for vulnerability scanning and
assessment to identify security weaknesses in systems and networks.
2. Which protocol does Nessus primarily use for authenticated scans on
Windows systems?
• A) SSH
• B) SMB/WMI
• C) SNMP
• D) Telnet
ANSWER : B - Nessus uses SMB (Server Message Block) and WMI
(Windows Management Instrumentation) for authenticated Windows scans.
3. What is a plugin in Nessus?
• A) A hardware component
• B) A script that checks for specific vulnerabilities
• C) A network protocol
• D) A user interface module
ANSWER : B - Plugins are individual scripts or checks that test for specific
vulnerabilities or security issues.
4. How often are Nessus plugins typically updated?
• A) Monthly
, • B) Quarterly
• C) Daily
• D) Yearly
ANSWER : C - Tenable updates Nessus plugins daily to address newly
discovered vulnerabilities.
5. What port does Nessus use by default for its web interface?
• A) 443
• B) 8080
• C) 8834
• D) 3389
ANSWER : C - Nessus uses port 8834 for its web-based user interface by
default.
6. Which scan type provides the most comprehensive vulnerability
information?
• A) Basic network scan
• B) Credentialed scan
• C) Ping scan
• D) Port scan only
ANSWER : B - Credentialed scans provide the most detailed information by
authenticating to systems and examining them internally.
7. What is the maximum number of IPs that can be scanned with Nessus
Professional?
• A) 16
• B) 64
• C) 256
• D) Unlimited
ANSWER : D - Nessus Professional has no IP limitation, unlike Nessus
Essentials which is limited to 16 IPs.
8. Which file format is used to export Nessus scan results?
, • A) .doc only
• B) .nessus, .pdf, .csv, .html
• C) .xml only
• D) .txt only
ANSWER : B - Nessus supports multiple export formats including .nessus
(native), PDF, CSV, and HTML.
9. What is the purpose of a compliance scan in Nessus?
• A) To check network speed
• B) To verify adherence to security standards and policies
• C) To update software
• D) To monitor bandwidth
ANSWER : B - Compliance scans verify that systems meet specific security
standards, benchmarks, or regulatory requirements.
10. Which operating systems can Nessus be installed on?
• A) Windows only
• B) Linux only
• C) Windows, Linux, macOS, and others
• D) macOS only
ANSWER : C - Nessus is cross-platform and can be installed on Windows,
various Linux distributions, macOS, and other systems.
11. What does CVSS stand for in vulnerability management?
• A) Common Vulnerability Scoring System
• B) Central Virus Security Service
• C) Comprehensive Vulnerability Security Standard
• D) Critical Vulnerability Scanning Solution
ANSWER : A - CVSS is the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, a
standardized method for rating vulnerability severity.
12. What is the range of CVSS scores?
• A) 1-5
, • B) 0-10
• C) 1-100
• D) A-F
ANSWER : B - CVSS scores range from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most
severe.
13. What privilege level is required to install Nessus on Linux?
• A) Standard user
• B) Root or sudo privileges
• C) Guest account
• D) No privileges needed
ANSWER : B - Root or sudo privileges are required to install Nessus on Linux
systems.
14. Which scan template would you use for PCI DSS compliance?
• A) Basic Network Scan
• B) Advanced Scan
• C) PCI Quarterly External Scan
• D) Host Discovery
ANSWER : C - The PCI Quarterly External Scan template is specifically
designed for PCI DSS compliance requirements.
15. What is a safe check in Nessus?
• A) A scan that doesn't check for vulnerabilities
• B) A check that doesn't exploit vulnerabilities or cause harm
• C) A scan that only runs during business hours
• D) A manual verification process
ANSWER : B - Safe checks detect vulnerabilities without exploiting them or
potentially disrupting services.
16. How do you activate a Nessus license?
• A) Through command line only
• B) Via the web interface during initial setup
