Company Overview
Greenbone was founded in 2008 by Jan-Oliver Wagner, Felix von Gheydt, and Timo Konig, headquartered in Osnabruck, Germany. The company originated from the OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System) open-source project, which itself began as a fork of the open-source version of the Nessus vulnerability scanner. Greenbone is a globally leading provider of open-source vulnerability management and security testing solutions.
Greenbone's core offering is the Greenbone Security Manager (GSM), providing automated vulnerability detection, asset management, and compliance auditing for enterprises. Its open-source Community Edition is one of the most widely used open-source vulnerability scanning platforms worldwide.
Related provider: Greenbone Vulnerability Management
Core Products
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Greenbone Security Manager (GSM) | Enterprise-grade vulnerability management appliance with scanning, reporting, and remediation tracking |
| Greenbone Community Edition | Open-source community vulnerability scanning platform based on OpenVAS |
| Greenbone Enterprise (EM) | Enterprise vulnerability management platform with advanced reporting and compliance features |
| OpenVAS | Open-source vulnerability scanning engine, Greenbone's core scanning technology |
| Greenbone API | RESTful API for automation integration and custom development |
| Greenbone Feeds (NVT Feeds) | Network Vulnerability Test update feed with continuously updated detection rules |
Key Milestones
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2005 | OpenVAS project launched as an open-source fork of Nessus |
| 2008 | Greenbone Networks founded in Osnabruck, Germany |
| 2010 | First Greenbone Security Manager enterprise release |
| 2015 | Greenbone becomes the primary maintainer and developer of OpenVAS |
| 2018 | GSM achieves multiple security certifications, expanding European market |
| 2021 | Greenbone Enterprise (EM) platform launched |
| 2025 | NVT feed expands to cover 200K+ vulnerabilities |
| 2026 | Maintains global leadership in open-source vulnerability management |
Market Position
Greenbone occupies a unique position in the open-source vulnerability management and security testing market, competing with the following vendors:
| Competitor | Description |
|---|---|
| Tenable Nessus | Commercial vulnerability scanner market leader, Greenbone's primary commercial competitor |
| Qualys | Cloud-based vulnerability management platform with comprehensive features |
| Rapid7 | Offers InsightVM and other vulnerability risk management solutions |
| OpenSCAP | Open-source compliance and vulnerability assessment framework |
| Wazuh | Open-source security monitoring platform with partial vulnerability detection |
| Nexpose (Rapid7) | Rapid7's legacy vulnerability scanning solution |
Core Strengths
Open Source Transparency: Open architecture with visible code, security-audit friendly
OpenVAS Stewardship: As the official maintainer of OpenVAS, holds core scanning expertise
GDPR Compliant: German-made, compliant with EU data protection requirements
Continuously Updated NVT Feed: Greenbone Feeds deliver daily vulnerability test rule updates
Flexible Deployment: Supports physical appliances, virtual machines, and cloud platforms
Cost Advantage: Free community edition available, competitive enterprise pricing