Hello! We are here to help you automate your security assessments. By scheduling regular vulnerability scans, you ensure continuous monitoring of your applications, which is essential for maintaining a strong security posture and meeting compliance requirements like PCI-DSS, SOC 2, and HIPAA.

Prerequisites

• You must be logged into your Astra Dashboard.

• You should have at least one active target already configured and verified in your account.

Instructions

1. Access the Scheduling Tool

Navigate to the left-hand sidebar of your dashboard and click on Schedule Scan.

2. Create a New Schedule

Click the Create Scan Schedule button to open the setup wizard.

3. Select Your Targets

Choose the specific target or targets you wish to automate from the list provided, then click Continue.

4. Configure Scan Details

Fill out the following fields to tailor the automation to your needs:

• Schedule Name: Give your schedule a clear label (e.g., "Weekly Production Full Scan").

• Timezone: Select your local timezone from the dropdown to ensure the scan runs at the intended time.

• Scan Mode: Choose between an Automated Scan or a Manual Pentest (if available in your plan).

• Automated Scan Type: If running an automated scan, select Full (comprehensive), Lightning (fast/high-level), or Emerging Threat (focused on new exploits).

• Scan Frequency: Set how often the scan should repeat, such as daily, weekly, monthly, or on specific days.

5. Finalize the Automation

Click Add Scan Schedule to complete the process.

Expected Outcome

Once created, your automation will appear in the Automations table. Your scans will auto-start based on the frequency and timezone you provided without any further manual intervention.

Managing Existing Schedules

• Disabling a Schedule: If you need to pause scans temporarily, click the Enable toggle on the respective schedule to turn it off.

• Deleting a Schedule: To permanently remove an automation, click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the scan and select Delete Schedule.

Troubleshooting & Common Questions

• Exact Start Times: You may notice that a scan scheduled for 4:00 AM actually starts at a time like 4:39 AM. This is expected behavior as our system automatically assigns the best available timeslot within that hour to prevent server congestion and ensure optimized performance.

• Scan Quota Issues: If you receive a "Scan Quota Exhausted" message, please reach out to us at help@getastra.com to discuss your subscription limits or verify your status.

• Canceled Scans: Automated scans might be canceled by the system if your application is unreachable or experiencing high response times after multiple retries.