Is arc.gov.au Safe? Security Analysis for Australian Research Council
Check if arc.gov.au is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
The Australian Research Council (ARC) is a key Australian government entity responsible for administering national research funding programs and evaluating research excellence. The website serves as a comprehensive portal for researchers, universities, and government stakeholders to access funding schemes, grant management tools, and research evaluation systems. The ARC maintains a strong market position as a trusted government agency supporting research and innovation in Australia. Technically, the website is built on Drupal 10 and GovCMS, leveraging modern frameworks like Bootstrap and integrating Google Analytics and Tag Manager for analytics. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and professionally designed, reflecting a mature digital infrastructure consistent with government standards. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enforced, multi-factor authentication for critical systems, and a published security vulnerability disclosure policy. However, the absence of security headers and cookie consent mechanisms indicates areas for improvement in compliance and defense-in-depth. The WHOIS data is privacy protected but consistent with government domain norms, supporting legitimacy. Overall, the ARC website is a high-quality, trustworthy government resource with minor gaps in privacy compliance and security headers. Strategic enhancements in these areas would further strengthen its security posture and user trust.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
ARC operates as a government funding agency with a focus on research excellence and impact. Its competitive advantage lies in its authoritative role in funding allocation and research evaluation across Australia. The business model is primarily government-funded, targeting academic and research institutions. The website ecosystem includes partner services like RMS, SEER, and Data Portal, enhancing its service delivery. Growth indicators include ongoing funding announcements and strategic policy publications. The ARC's operations are tightly integrated with government frameworks, ensuring stable market presence and influence.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The ARC website demonstrates a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and multi-factor authentication for sensitive systems. The presence of a security vulnerability disclosure policy indicates proactive security management. However, the lack of security headers such as Content Security Policy and HSTS reduces defense-in-depth. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected. The absence of direct incident response contact emails and cookie consent mechanisms are compliance gaps. Overall, the security maturity is good but could benefit from enhanced header policies and privacy compliance measures.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement comprehensive security headers including CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Australian Research Council
The Australian Research Council (ARC) is a Commonwealth entity within the Australian Government established as an independent body supporting the research sector to produce excellent and impactful outcomes for Australia’s economic, social, environmental and cultural benefit.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
excellent
good
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Multi-factor authentication for RMS and SEER systems
- Security Vulnerability Disclosure Policy published
- Anonymize IP in Google Analytics
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is a professionally maintained Australian government research funding portal.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
👤GDPR Compliance
Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.
GDPR Compliance
Privacy and data protection assessment
No Cookie Policy found
HIGHGDPR requires clear information about cookie usage
No Cookie Consent Banner found
HIGHGDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies
No Data Protection Officer mentioned
LOWLarge organizations may need to designate a DPO under GDPR
Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant
MEDIUMPrivacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements
GDPR Compliance Analysis
🛡️NIS2 Compliance
Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.
NIS2 Compliance
Network & Information Security Directive
No information security framework found
HIGHNIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures
No security policy documentation found
HIGHNIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management
No incident response procedures found
HIGHNIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans
No business continuity planning found
MEDIUMNIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity
No security contact information
HIGHNIS2 requires clear incident reporting channels
No NIS2 reference found
LOWConsider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts
📧Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation
Complex SPF record
LOWToo many include statements can cause lookup limits
No BIMI Record
LOWBIMI displays brand logos in email clients
No MTA-STS Policy
MEDIUMMTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery
No TLS-RPT Record
LOWTLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues
SPF Details
DKIM Selectors Found
DMARC Details
🏆SSL/TLS Security
Certificate validity and encryption analysis.
SSL/TLS Security
Certificate validity and encryption analysis
Unable to retrieve SSL certificate
CRITICALCould not establish secure connection to retrieve certificate information
OCSP Status
📊DNS Health
DNS configuration and security assessment.
DNS Health
DNS configuration and security assessment
DNSSEC Not Enabled
MEDIUMDNSSEC is not configured for this domain
Domain Transfer Lock Not Enabled
MEDIUMDomain can be transferred without authorization
Domain Registration Details
DNS Records
DNSSEC Status
DNS Performance
SPF Analysis
⚡Network Security
Port scanning and network exposure analysis.
Network Security
Port scanning and network exposure analysis
Good Network Security Posture
LOWNo unnecessary services detected on common risky ports
🔧Technical Analysis
Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.
Technical Analysis
Comprehensive security assessment findings