Which vulnerability scanner is noted for having a commercial version that is roughly 50% faster and offers more plugins?

• A. OpenVAS
• B. Nessus
• C. Nexpose
• D. Qualys

Answer: (B)

Understanding how vulnerability scanners differ in capability and performance helps here. Nessus is known for a large, commercially supported plugin feed that’s frequently updated, giving it broad coverage of CVEs, misconfigurations, and platform checks. The commercial version is optimized for speed and efficiency, so scans tend to run faster as the plugin set grows and the engine is tuned for quick results. This combination of extensive plugins and a fast, commercial-grade engine is why it’s described as roughly 50% faster with more plugins than some alternatives.

OpenVAS is open-source and typically has fewer plugins and slower performance in practice, which is why it wouldn’t be described as faster with a larger plugin set. Nexpose and Qualys are strong scanners too, but the specific claim about a commercial version that’s significantly faster and offers more plugins is most commonly associated with Nessus.