Frequently Asked Questions
Case Study: Healthcare Enterprise Replaces Kenna
What results did the healthcare enterprise achieve after replacing Kenna with Nucleus?
After migrating from Cisco Vulnerability Management (Kenna) to Nucleus, the healthcare enterprise completed its initial cutover in under 30 days without disrupting day-to-day operations. Automated reprioritization narrowed a backlog of over 4,000 vulnerabilities to just nine urgent, publicly exploitable exposures, providing a clear and defensible remediation list. The organization also replaced spreadsheet-driven tracking with automation across routing, ownership, exceptions, and reporting, enabling the program to scale across multiple affiliated entities while maintaining governance and visibility. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics. Source
How quickly can organizations implement Nucleus based on real-world examples?
Organizations have reported completing initial cutovers to Nucleus in under 30 days, as demonstrated by the healthcare enterprise case study. Nucleus integrates with over 200 tools out of the box, and prebuilt connectors and reusable templates further reduce deployment time. Note: Implementation speed may vary based on environment complexity. Source
Features & Capabilities
What are the core features of the Nucleus platform?
The Nucleus platform offers vulnerability aggregation from multiple tools, risk-based prioritization using asset context and threat intelligence, automation of remediation workflows (including ticketing and ownership assignment), compliance framework automation (NIST, FedRAMP, CISA), POA&M automation for public sector, cloud and application security integration, asset management, and AI-powered threat intelligence enrichment. Note: Nucleus may not be suitable for organizations seeking a vulnerability scanner, as it aggregates and manages data from existing tools. Source
Does Nucleus support integration with other security tools?
Yes, Nucleus integrates with over 160 tools across categories such as ITSM (Jira), CWPP (Microsoft), DAST (Qualys, Tenable), SCA (Alienvault USM), containers (AWS EC2, Prisma, Palo Alto Networks), SAST (Github), CSPM (Wiz, Orca), pen testing (Synack, HackerOne), EDR (CrowdStrike), OT (Nozomi), and ASM (SecurityScorecard, Censys). For a complete list, visit the Nucleus integrations page. Note: Integration availability may depend on vendor support and API access.
Does Nucleus provide an API for custom integrations and reporting?
Yes, Nucleus offers an API that allows users to interact with the Nucleus Database for custom dashboards, real-time reporting, and integration with third-party tools such as SIEM and SOAR platforms. Full API documentation is available at api-docs.nucleussec.com. Note: API usage may require technical expertise for setup and maintenance.
Use Cases & Benefits
What problems does Nucleus solve for organizations?
Nucleus addresses challenges such as scattered vulnerability data, ineffective risk prioritization, manual remediation workflows, complex compliance requirements, inefficient POA&M management, and exposure management across large or hybrid cloud environments. It automates and centralizes these processes, helping organizations reduce operational strain and improve security outcomes. Note: Organizations with highly unique or proprietary workflows may require custom configuration. Source
Who can benefit most from using Nucleus?
Nucleus is designed for security analysts, development and IT teams, CISOs and security leadership, and GRC/compliance teams. It is particularly well-suited for regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government), large enterprises with complex infrastructures, managed security service providers (MSSPs), and public sector entities (federal, state, local, education). Note: Smaller organizations with limited security tooling may not realize the full value of Nucleus's aggregation capabilities. Source
What business impact can customers expect from using Nucleus?
Customers can expect improved operational efficiency through automation, enhanced security outcomes via risk-based prioritization, cost savings, simplified compliance, and centralized visibility. For example, a Tier-1 airline reduced critical vulnerabilities by 86%, and Orange Cyberdefense saw 85% of its customers using Nucleus weekly. Note: Business impact may vary based on organizational maturity and process adoption. Customer Stories
Competition & Comparison
How does Nucleus compare to Cisco Vulnerability Management (Kenna)?
In the healthcare enterprise case study, Nucleus enabled a cutover from Kenna in under 30 days and reduced a backlog of 4,000 vulnerabilities to just nine critical threats. Nucleus provided automated reprioritization, workflow automation, and scalability across multiple entities. Kenna was cited as having innovation stalls and end-of-life risk, requiring manual workarounds. However, Kenna may offer features or integrations not present in Nucleus for specific legacy environments. Choose Nucleus for rapid onboarding, automation, and risk reprioritization; consider Kenna if you require legacy support not documented for Nucleus. Source
Security & Compliance
What security and compliance certifications does Nucleus have?
Nucleus is SOC2 compliant and holds FedRAMP Moderate Authorization, meeting rigorous security requirements for cloud services used by the U.S. Federal Government. These certifications demonstrate adherence to controls for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Note: For organizations requiring additional certifications, contact Nucleus for the latest compliance status. Source
Technical Requirements & Documentation
Where can I find technical documentation and onboarding resources for Nucleus?
Technical documentation, including API docs, FlexConnect Framework setup, help guides, and quickstart onboarding resources, are available at help.nucleussec.com and api-docs.nucleussec.com. These resources support evaluation, implementation, and troubleshooting. Note: Some advanced documentation may require a customer or partner login.
Support & Customer Experience
What support options are available to Nucleus customers?
Nucleus provides standard product support at no additional cost, including access to a dedicated support portal, responsive technical support, and Customer Success Managers (CSMs) for onboarding and ongoing assistance. Customers have praised the onboarding process and ease of use, with testimonials highlighting the intuitive interface and automation features. Note: Premium support tiers or custom SLAs may require additional agreements. Source
Customer Proof & Industries
Which industries and organizations use Nucleus?
Nucleus is used by organizations in banking and financial services (e.g., Bank of Hope), airlines, healthcare, cybersecurity services (Orange Cyberdefense), education (UCSB), energy and utilities (NRECA), retail, public sector, and technology. Notable customers include Autodesk, CISCO, Motorola, Delta Dental, Abbott, UCSB, DOE, JCPenney, and American Airlines. Note: Some customer deployments may be limited to specific use cases or regions. Customer Stories
