Specifications

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Configuring Multi-Scanner
The Multi Scanner functionality gives your Nessus scanner the ability to delegate vulnerability scanning to multiple
secondary servers, or be delegated to perform scans for another. You can use your own Nessus server to act as the
primary, or you can configure your Nessus Enterprise Cloud scanner in the cloud to be the primary. This allows for
consolidated reporting in a single Nessus user interface with scheduled scanning and emailing results.
The use of this functionality positions companies to create an extended network of Nessus scanners that give added
value. Through strategic positioning of scanners, you are able to not only test for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, but
also examine systems from different viewpoints on the network. This can greatly assist you in ensuring that network
screening devices (e.g., firewalls, routers) are properly restricting access to a given system. This also helps in ensuring
those devices aren’t affecting the accuracy of the scan.
It is important to note that primary scanners do not reach out to the secondary scanners. Instead, secondary scanners
periodically poll the primary scanner they are registered with to receive new instructions. When deploying a network of
Nessus scanners using this functionality, this must be kept in mind to ensure that nothing will prevent connections from a
secondary scanner to its primary.
Scanners that are managed by SecurityCenter cannot use the Multi-Scanner functionality.