Build your own vulnerability scanning home lab with Nessus Essentials for free!

1.   First, we need to visit this site and download the software! https://www.tenable.com/products/nessus/nessus-essentials 

   2.    You “have” to register for a new account in order to get the free install 

   3.    After you hit submit, a new page will display with a download link. Click the Download Button to go to the Downloads page.   

   4.    I am using Windows 10. I need to find the Windows 10 (64 Bit) Version and download it. This version below is going to change for future updates!!  

  5.    Let’s install the software. Keep hitting next until you can’t hit next anymore. 

  6.    The install will stop and ask you to install WinPcap. Hit next and the full install will complete. 

  7.    After the install is complete, a web page should open with Nessus Essentials on it. It's a good idea to bookmark that page. Hit Connect via SSL. 

  8.    This page will display next. Hit the advanced button. Hit the Continue to localhost (unsafe) link. 

  9.     By default, Nessus Essentials should be checked off. Click Continue. 

  10.     We can hit skip at the next prompt. We already signed up for one in Step 2. 

  11.     Go to your inbox and get the activation from earlier. The email should be there. Copy that Serial Number. 

  12.     Copy and Paste your activation code from earlier and hit continue. 

  13.     Create a username and password and hit Submit. 

  14.     Looking Good. Let it do its thing! 

  15.     Completed!. Time to begin. First thing, Nessus Essentials is limited to 16 hosts. Let’s find a target computer on your network for testing. 

  16.     Find the IP of a local computer. 

  17.     Go to the computer that you want to scan. We need to do two things. 

• Enable the Admin account 

• Disable the firewall and antivirus 

*We will disable it when we are done and re-enable your Virus Protection. 

  18.     Let Disable the Antivirus so it doesn’t block the scan. 

  19.     Now it Time to go back to the computer that you installed Nessus Essentials and get scanning!! Go back to the screen from Step 15. If you're logged out, please sign back in. 

• Enter the IP from the other computer on your home network. 

  20.     You should see an IP list after you hit submit with a discovery complete. Don’t run the scan yet. You can hit the x in the upper right-hand corner. 

  21.     Go to My Scans and Click New Scan. You will see a bunch of different scan templates you can try. We will use the basic network scan for this one. Click on it. 

  22.     Let’s add that Administrator password from the other computer. We have the right to find the vulnerabilities. Add the username Administrator with password computers. Hit Save! 

  23.     Go to the Settings Tab and add a Scan Name and enter the IP from the computer you will be scanning. Hit Save! 

  24.     It’s Time to Scan! Hit My Scans and Launch the scan you just created. You can tell it is running if it is spinning. 

  25.     Check your results and see what you got! 

  25.     Very Important if you don’t want to leave that Admin account enabled.