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Is 404media.co a Scam? Security Check Results - 404 Media

404media.co Security Report Summary

404media.co received a security score of 62 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Moderate Risk". This report covers 404 Media's website security posture. 404 Media operates in the Media industry in N/a.

404 Media is a new independent media company founded by experienced technology journalists. The company focuses on technology journalism and media publishing, targeting a general audience interested in tech news. The website is professionally designed using modern web technologies including Ghost CMS, and integrates third-party services such as Disqus for comments, Stripe for payments, and Plausible for analytics. The technical infrastructure is modern and supports good mobile optimization and SEO practices. Security posture is adequate with HTTPS enabled and no exposed sensitive data, but lacks explicit security headers and formal privacy or cookie policies. No contact information or incident response details are provided, which limits transparency. Overall, the website is safe, trustworthy, and professionally maintained but could improve in privacy compliance and security best practices.

The security scan identified 30 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: JavaScript, CSS, Google Fonts, PWA (disabled), Disqus (commenting system), Stripe (payment processing), Ghost CMS, Contextly widgets, Plausible Analytics.

About this security scan

Guard performs automated security assessments of websites by analyzing SSL/TLS certificates, HTTP security headers, DNS configuration, email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), GDPR compliance indicators, NIS2 directive compliance, network exposure, and AI-powered business intelligence. Each report provides domain-specific findings, risk scores, and actionable recommendations.

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Is 404media.co Safe? Security Analysis for 404 Media

https://404media.co

Check if 404media.co is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

MediaN/asmall
JavaScriptCSSGoogle FontsPWA (disabled)Disqus (commenting system)+4 more
Analyzed 10/9/2025Completed 4:34:19 PM5mo ago
62
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Above Media avg (58)

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domain404media.co
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SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

AI Summary

404 Media is a new independent media company founded by experienced technology journalists. The company focuses on technology journalism and media publishing, targeting a general audience interested in tech news. The website is professionally designed using modern web technologies including Ghost CMS, and integrates third-party services such as Disqus for comments, Stripe for payments, and Plausible for analytics. The technical infrastructure is modern and supports good mobile optimization and SEO practices. Security posture is adequate with HTTPS enabled and no exposed sensitive data, but lacks explicit security headers and formal privacy or cookie policies. No contact information or incident response details are provided, which limits transparency. Overall, the website is safe, trustworthy, and professionally maintained but could improve in privacy compliance and security best practices.

Detected Technologies

JavaScriptCSSGoogle FontsPWA (disabled)Disqus (commenting system)Stripe (payment processing)Ghost CMSContextly widgetsPlausible Analytics

10 urgent findings need attention

10 high

  • + 2 more findings in the full report below
Continuous monitoring

Keep 404media.co under constant watch

Guard tracks your live infrastructure daily: certificate expiry, DNS & mail authentication drift, uptime changes, subdomain inventory, and unexpected tracker or content shifts. A full timeline captures every diff so you can prove remediation and spot regressions instantly.

Security drift alerts

Risk score drops, new high-severity issues, and header hardening gaps

Compliance watch

GDPR / NIS2 posture changes with governance evidence snapshots

Infrastructure surface

Unexpected open services, SSL expiry, DNS & email authentication changes

Content & tracker intelligence

Marketing tech shifts, analytics drift, and AI recommendation updates

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Security Headers

8 findings

15/100

GDPR Compliance

3 findings

58/100

NIS2 Compliance

9 findings

2/100

Email Security

4 findings

70/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

The company positions itself as a new independent media outlet in the technology journalism sector. It leverages a subscription or membership model facilitated by Ghost CMS and Stripe payments. The target market includes technology enthusiasts and general readers interested in tech news. The business model is content-driven with potential revenue from subscriptions and advertising. The company maintains a social media presence on Twitter and Facebook, enhancing its reach. No parent company or subsidiaries are indicated, suggesting a standalone operation. The use of privacy protection in domain registration is typical for startups. The company could benefit from clearer contact and compliance information to strengthen business credibility.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website employs HTTPS ensuring encrypted communications. However, no explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy or X-Frame-Options were detected in the HTML content, which could improve protection against common web attacks. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were found in the source. The site uses third-party scripts which should be regularly audited for security. Absence of a security policy or incident response contact reduces readiness for handling security incidents. Privacy compliance is minimal with no visible privacy or cookie policies, which may pose regulatory risks. Overall, the security posture is moderate but can be enhanced by implementing security headers, formal policies, and incident response mechanisms.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a comprehensive privacy policy and cookie policy accessible from the website footer or main menu.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

404 Media

Description:

404 Media is a new independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox.

Key Services:
technology journalismmedia publishing
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
JavaScriptCSSGoogle FontsPWA (disabled)Disqus (commenting system)Stripe (payment processing)Ghost CMSContextly widgetsPlausible Analytics
Frameworks:
Ghost CMS
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
75/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enabled
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of modern JS and CSS assets

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Plausible Analytics
Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
BuySellAds
Tracking Pixels:
Plausible Analytics
Marketing Tools:
Contextly widgets
Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

Design Quality:good
User Experience:good
Content Relevance:good
Navigation Clarity:good
Professionalism:good
Trustworthiness:moderate

Key Observations

1

Website is professionally designed and uses modern web technologies.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

15/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

Missing X-Content-Type-Options header

MEDIUM

Prevents MIME type sniffing

Missing Content-Security-Policy header

HIGH

Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Missing Referrer-Policy header

LOW

Controls referrer information sent with requests

Missing Permissions-Policy header

MEDIUM

Controls browser features and APIs

Sensitive data may be cached

LOW

Cache-Control header should include "no-store" for sensitive pages

👤GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.

GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment

58/100
Score

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

No Cookie Consent Banner found

HIGH

GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant

MEDIUM

Privacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy85% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

2/100
Score

No information security framework found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures

No vulnerability disclosure policy

MEDIUM

NIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure

No security policy documentation found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management

No incident response procedures found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans

No business continuity planning found

MEDIUM

NIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity

No security contact information

HIGH

NIS2 requires clear incident reporting channels

No vulnerability reporting mechanism

MEDIUM

Clear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure

No NIS2 reference found

LOW

Consider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts

Critical sector without clear security compliance

HIGH

Detected sectors: transport, digital

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📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

70/100
Score

No DKIM record found

MEDIUM

DKIM adds cryptographic signatures to emails

No BIMI Record

LOW

BIMI displays brand logos in email clients

No MTA-STS Policy

MEDIUM

MTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery

No TLS-RPT Record

LOW

TLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues

SPF
Sender Policy Framework
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication
MX Records
Mail Exchange Records
BIMI
Brand Indicators
MTA-STS
Mail Transfer Agent Security
TLS-RPT
TLS Reporting
DNSSEC
DNS Security
SPF Details
Record:
v=spf1 include:dc-aa8e722993._spfm.404media.co ~all
DNS Lookups:1/10
Policy:~all

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

95/100
Score

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 71 days

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Certificate Details

Subject:www.404media.co
Issuer:ZeroSSL RSA Domain Secure Site CA
Valid Until:12/19/2025 (71 days)
SANs:www.404media.co

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

75/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

No DMARC Record

MEDIUM

DMARC policy not configured

DNS Records

A Records:178.128.137.126
Name Servers:
ns65.domaincontrol.comDNS only
ns66.domaincontrol.comDNS only
MX Records:
10: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
10: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
1: aspmx.l.google.com
SOA:Serial: 2025091800, TTL: 600s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:137ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:dc-aa8e722993._spfm.404media.co ~all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

100/100
Score

Good Network Security Posture

LOW

No unnecessary services detected on common risky ports

How does 404media.co compare?

See how 404media.co stacks up against similar websites in the same industry.

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on the Ghost CMS platform, hosted on ghost.io, using modern JavaScript and CSS assets. It leverages Google Fonts for typography and integrates third-party services including Disqus for comments, Stripe for payments, and Plausible for privacy-focused analytics. The site is mobile optimized with responsive design and good SEO metadata including Open Graph and JSON-LD structured data. Performance is moderate with preloading of critical assets. No major technical debt or deprecated technologies were detected. Opportunities exist to improve accessibility features and implement progressive web app capabilities which are currently disabled.
Professional PDF & Marketing Data

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PDF Report & Export

PDF download, email delivery, unlock code

39.90 €one-time • Incl. 21% VAT

Marketing Intelligence

Contact emails, phone numbers & warm leads

49.90 €one-time • Incl. 21% VAT

Plan Comparison

FeaturePDF ReportMarketing+
Full security analysis
Professional PDF export
Email delivery
Lifetime access + unlock code
Contact emails & phones
Marketing outreach data

Already purchased?

Order summary

Domain404media.co
Access tierFull report or marketing add-on

Digital reports are delivered immediately after payment. By continuing you acknowledge the withdrawal waiver described in our Returns & Refunds policy.

VisaMastercardApple PayGoogle Pay

Secure payments processed via EveryPay. Prices in EUR; Incl. 21% VAT.

SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

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