Contrast Security
Contrast Security provides a unified runtime security platform that embeds vulnerability detection and attack protection directly into your applications to secure your entire software development lifecycle.
Tenable Nessus
Nessus is a vulnerability assessment solution providing deep-point-in-time scans to identify security flaws, misconfigurations, and malware across your modern IT infrastructure, including cloud, containers, and traditional assets.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Contrast Security | Tenable Nessus |
|---|---|---|
| Website | contrastsecurity.com | tenable.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 0 days free trial | ✓ 7 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2014 | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Los Altos, USA | Columbia, USA |
Overview
Contrast Security
Contrast Security helps you eliminate the friction between development and security by embedding protection directly into your applications. Instead of relying on slow, outside-in scans that produce noisy results, you can use instrumentation to identify vulnerabilities in real-time as your code runs. This approach allows your developers to find and fix security flaws early in the development process without needing to be security experts themselves.
You can protect your entire application portfolio, from legacy Java apps to modern cloud-native serverless functions, using a single platform. By providing continuous visibility across your development, testing, and production environments, the software ensures that only secure code reaches your customers. It effectively automates the heavy lifting of security testing, allowing your team to maintain a high velocity while significantly reducing your overall cyber risk profile.
Tenable Nessus
Nessus helps you identify and fix security vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. You can scan your entire environment—including cloud instances, web applications, and traditional network hardware—to find missing patches, software flaws, and configuration errors. It provides a clear view of your attack surface so you can prioritize the most critical risks to your business.
You can choose between different versions depending on your needs, ranging from a free version for educators and students to professional and expert versions for security consultants. It simplifies the complex task of vulnerability assessment with pre-built templates and automated reporting. Whether you are securing a small office or a complex hybrid-cloud environment, you can rely on its extensive plugin library to stay protected against the latest threats.
Overview
Contrast Security Features
- Interactive Analysis (IAST) Identify vulnerabilities in your running code automatically without performing manual scans or waiting for scheduled security tests.
- Software Bill of Materials Generate a complete inventory of your open-source components to manage third-party risks and ensure license compliance effortlessly.
- Runtime Protection (RASP) Defend your applications against live attacks in production by blocking exploits and unauthorized activity in real-time.
- Serverless Security Secure your AWS Lambda functions by detecting over-privileged roles and vulnerabilities specific to cloud-native architectures.
- Static Analysis (SAST) Scan your source code during the build process to catch common coding errors before they ever reach a testing environment.
- Prioritized Remediation Focus your efforts on the most critical risks with clear guidance on how to fix vulnerabilities quickly.
Tenable Nessus Features
- Pre-Built Scan Templates. Start scanning immediately using over 450 pre-configured templates for common audits like PCI-DSS and HIPAA compliance.
- Live Results. Perform offline vulnerability analysis against your scan history to find new threats without running a new scan.
- Cloud Infrastructure Scanning. Assess your cloud-native assets and identify misconfigurations in AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud environments easily.
- Customizable Reporting. Create tailored reports in multiple formats like HTML or PDF to share critical security findings with your stakeholders.
- Web Application Scanning. Identify vulnerabilities in your web applications and APIs to prevent common attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
- External Surface Discovery. Find and map your internet-facing assets to understand what an attacker sees when looking at your organization.
Pricing Comparison
Contrast Security Pricing
Tenable Nessus Pricing
- Scan up to 16 IP addresses
- High-speed accurate scanning
- Community support access
- Standard vulnerability assessment
- Free for educators and students
- Everything in Essentials, plus:
- Unlimited IP address scanning
- Advanced support access
- Configuration audits
- Live Results analysis
- Customizable reporting
Pros & Cons
Contrast Security
Pros
- Extremely low false-positive rate compared to traditional scanners
- Real-time vulnerability detection speeds up the development cycle
- Easy integration into existing CI/CD pipelines and workflows
- Provides clear and actionable remediation advice for developers
- Continuous monitoring provides peace of mind in production
Cons
- Initial agent installation can be complex for some environments
- Higher price point compared to basic open-source tools
- Performance overhead may occur in very resource-intensive applications
Tenable Nessus
Pros
- Extremely high accuracy with very low false-positive rates
- Massive library of plugins updated daily for new threats
- Easy to set up and run your first scan quickly
- Detailed remediation instructions help you fix issues faster
Cons
- Annual subscription cost is high for small businesses
- Interface can feel dated compared to newer cloud platforms
- Reporting customization requires a learning curve to master