NeWT

Use Nessus Windows Technology to scan your system for vulnerabilities

I run Windows, therefore I must patch -- and patch on a regular basis. That's not to say you don't have to patch **nix, but as we all know, Windows requires what seems like nightly security updates.


I try to stay up-to-date with patches and security updates, but sometimes certain applications and services expose my machine to unknown security holes. That's why I also run a vulnerability scanner to ensure I didn't miss anything. On tonight's "Screen Savers" I show you how to do the same thing for free.

A vulnerability scanner performs a series of tests to look for the latest holes and system exploits. Once finished, the scanner reports its results to the end user.


I've tried several vulnerability scanning applications, and so far I like Nessus the best. It's free (big plus), it's open-source, and it has provided me with pretty decent results. Unfortunately, for the average guy Nessus can be a bit tricky to set up, and it only runs on Unix-based operating systems.

You can understand why I was stoked to look at a port of Nessus to the Windows platform. NeWT (short for Nessus Windows Technology) was a breeze to set up and configure, and it provided me with all the vulnerability scanning found in its Unix brother. It's easy to update and an all-around good product that will only get better with time.


NeWT has a 30-day trial and is available from Tenable Network Security.



Download NeWT now