Overview
Qualys Cloud Agent is a light application that runs in the background of the systems where it is installed. This gives updated scan data sent back to the Qualys platform without having to perform active scans.
How to Use Cloud Agent
Installation instructions will be provided along with the install agent, as each agent as its own individual activation code.
Once you’ve installed the agent, within an hour it should display in Asset View. First go to Qualys Asset View. Click on the drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner of Qualys, this will list the available modules. This list will change over time as we add or remove Qualys services. Click on Asset View.
Once on this screen navigate to the Assets tab at the top
Once on the Assets screen this will show you all of the assets tagged with your Business Unit and Asset Group. Use the following search string in the search box to show only the assets running Cloud Agent: tags.name:`Cloud Agent`
Click on the asset and it will bring up an information window. The main page shows the Host Name, IPv4 Address, Asset ID, Operating System info, location, and log-in activity.
Other tabs with good information include the System Information tab which shows services running on the device, the Open Ports which shows detected open ports on the device as well as what services have detected using those ports, and the Vulnerabilities tab, which shows detailed information on the vulnerabilities detected on the machine.
From here you can click on the chart and get more detailed information on the vulnerabilities present including their QID’s.
If you click on a QID it will give you more details on the vulnerability, including the threat is poses, the impact it can have, and potential solutions.
With quick access to this information you can easily see how each individual asset has in terms of security vulnerabilities, and information on how to address them. This is why Qualys Cloud Agent is extremely useful, as it allows you to sort, view, and access your assets remotely.