Keeping Systems Safe With Vulnerability Scanning

Vulnerability scanning plays a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity and security of digital systems. By identifying weak points, prioritizing risks, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and facilitating a proactive approach, it acts as a preventive measure against cyber threats. Regular scans also support organizations during cyber attacks, helping to quickly understand and respond to breaches. Additionally, it provides invaluable insights when integrating new software or hardware, ensuring they don't introduce additional risks. In essence, vulnerability scanning is a foundational tool in cybersecurity, offering organizations a thorough assessment of their digital defenses and areas for improvement.

What is Nessus?

Nessus is a software tool designed to scan computer systems and networks for vulnerabilities. Developed by Tenable Network Security, it checks for security gaps that could be exploited by malicious actors. It does this by comparing system configurations, software, and other elements against a database of known vulnerabilities.

Why is Nessus Important for Vulnerability Management in Cybersecurity?

1. Comprehensive Detection: With a vast database that's regularly updated, Nessus can identify a wide range of vulnerabilities, ensuring that systems are checked against the most recent security threats.

2. Customizable Scans: Organizations have varying needs based on their infrastructure, software, and regulatory requirements. Nessus allows for tailored scans, enabling businesses to focus on specific areas of interest or concern.

3. Severity-Based Insights: Nessus not only identifies vulnerabilities but also ranks them based on potential impact. This allows IT teams to prioritize and address the most critical vulnerabilities first.

4. Assists in Compliance: Many industries have stringent regulatory requirements related to cybersecurity. Nessus can check systems against these standards, ensuring that an organization remains compliant.

5. Regular Updates: The cybersecurity landscape is continuously evolving, with new vulnerabilities emerging regularly. Nessus stays updated with these changes, ensuring that scans reflect the latest known threats.

6. Integration Capabilities: Nessus can be integrated with other cybersecurity tools, offering a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to vulnerability management.

7. Proactive Defense: By identifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited, Nessus helps organizations to proactively defend themselves, reducing the risk of security breaches.

Its ability to systematically identify, rank, and assist in patching vulnerabilities makes it an invaluable asset for any organization serious about protecting its digital infrastructure.

What we'll learn

In this project, we're focusing on identifying and fixing security gaps using Nessus Essentials. We'll run this tool on virtual computers, spotting any vulnerabilities. After addressing these issues, we'll do another scan to ensure the fixes worked properly. This process is crucial for maintaining secure systems. We'll be following Josh Madakor's walkthrough for this project.

Content

• Set up VMWare Player

• Setup Windows 10 ISO

• Download and Set up Nessus Essentials

• Verify connectivity with VM

• Initiate a new vulnerability scan using Nessus

• Review initial scan results (without using credentials)

• Prepare Virtual Machine for scans that require credentials

• Execute the first credentialed scan

• Examine the results from the credentialed scan

• Install deprecated Firefox on the VM

• Evaluate scan findings post Firefox installation

• Address and fix detected vulnerabilities

• Check scan outcomes after vulnerability mitigation

• Additional reflections on managing vulnerabilities in a business setting

• Closing Thoughts

Set up VMware Player

• Navigate to the VMware Download Center.

1. Locate VMware Workstation Player under Desktop & End user Computing.

2. Select the installer from the list according to your host operating system.

3. Click Download.

• Run Installer: Open the downloaded file.

• Follow Steps: Go through the setup wizard, clicking "Next" after each step.

• Agree to License: Accept the terms of the License Agreement.

• Setup Type: Select "Typical" setup.

• Choose Preferences: Decide on updates and improvement program participation.

• Shortcut: Choose whether to create a desktop shortcut.

• Install: Click "Install" and wait for it to finish.

• Finish and Restart: Click "Finish" and restart your computer if necessary.

• Open VMware: Launch VMware from desktop or Start Menu.

Setup Windows 10 ISO

• Download Windows 10 here

• Open the installer

• Agree to license

• Create installation media: ISO

• Use recommended settings

• Choose ISO file

• Choose the path for your ISO file

• Launch VMware

• Select Create a New Virtual Machine

• Find the path to your Windows 10 ISO

• Name your virtual machine

• Disk Space Capacity default settings

• Click Customize Hardware

• Change Network Adapter to Bridged

  

  
  

• Change RAM to 4gb and Processor to 4 if possible

• Click Finish

• Launch your VM

• Press a button to continue with setup

• Choose I don't have a product key

• Choose Windows 10 Pro

• Click Custom install > Next

• Setup for personal use

• Choose offline account

• Limit experience

• Name your PC and create a password

• Choose no on privacy settings

• Skip Cortana

Download and Set up Nessus Essentials

• Download Nessus Essentials here

• Register for an activation code

• Check your email for an activation code

• In your email click on Download

• Click on Download Tenable Nessus: Nessus and Nessus Manager

• Download and install Nessus

• Save the URL: http://localhost:8834/WelcomeToNessus-Install/welcome

• Click Connect via SSL

• Click Advanced > Proceed to localhost (unsafe)

  

  
  

• Continue to installation

  

  
  

• Register for Nessus Essentials

• Skip and enter your Activation code from you email and Register for Nessus

• Create your username and password

• Log into Nessus Essentials

Verify connectivity with VM

• Navigate to command prompt within your VM

• Type ipconfig

• Ping your IPv4 Address from your local machine. There will be a request time out

• In your VM navigate to wf.msc

• Navigate to Windows Defender Firewall Properties

• Turn off firewall state for domain profile, private profile, public profile

• Ping your IPv4 VM Address again from your local machine

  

Initiate a new vulnerability scan using Nessus

• Navigate to Create a New Scan > Basic Network Scan

• Enter the name and Target (your VM IPv4 Address). Click Save

  

  
  

• Click Launch after it is created

• Wait for the Scan to complete

Review initial scan results (without using credentials)

Prepare Virtual Machine for scans that require credentials

• Navigate to services.msc inside your VM > Remote Registry

  

  
  

• Select Automatic in Startup Type and click Start

  

  
  

• Navigate to Advanced Sharing Settings > turn on file and printer sharing

• Navigate to User Account Control Settings > lower to Never Notfiy

• Navigate to Regedit > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > System

• Create new DWORD by right clicking new DWORD called LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy

  

  
  

• Right Click the DWORD > Modify > Value Data: 1

• Restart your VM

Execute the first credentialed scan

• Navigate to Nessus Essentials

• Navigate to My Scans > Check the box for Windows 10 Single Host > More > Configure > Credentials > Windows

• Enter Username and Password that you created for this VM. Click Save

• Navigate back to My Scans and launch your scan

Examine the results from the credentialed scan

Install deprecated Firefox on the VM

• Download an older version of Firefox here

• Install on your VM

• Run another scan in Nessus Essentials

Evaluate scan findings post Firefox installation

Address and fix detected vulnerabilities

• Navigate to run on VM and type appwiz.cpl to open programs and features

  

  
  

• Uninstall firefox

• Perform a windows update

• Update Microsoft Edge

  
  

Check scan outcomes after vulnerability mitigation

After taking steps to remove Firefox and applying multiple Windows updates, our subsequent system scans showed a notable decrease in vulnerabilities. These proactive measures directly contributed to strengthening our system's security

Additional reflections on managing vulnerabilities in a business setting

In a corporate setting, one of the primary responsibilities involves conducting systematic scans across various departments to identify potential vulnerabilities in the system. These scans require close collaboration with different departments to obtain the necessary credentials and access permissions. Once vulnerabilities are identified, the next step is to work alongside the relevant teams to devise and implement appropriate remediation measures, ensuring the security and integrity of the organization's digital assets and infrastructure.

Closing Thoughts

After using Nessus in our project, it's clear how crucial regular security checks are. Nessus pointed out weak spots we need to work on. As we finish this project, the tool has reminded us of the importance of always staying alert in cybersecurity and working together across departments to ensure our systems are safe.