Is aura-astronomy.org Safe? Security Analysis for Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
Check if aura-astronomy.org is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a well-established nonprofit organization that operates and builds world-class astronomical observatories for major US science agencies including the National Science Foundation and NASA. The organization plays a critical role in advancing astronomical research and education, serving a broad audience of scientists, educators, and the public. Their website reflects a professional and authoritative presence with comprehensive content about their centers, news, and resources. Technically, the site is built on WordPress with modern plugins and frameworks, offering good performance and mobile optimization. Security posture is solid with HTTPS and reCAPTCHA integration, though some security headers and cookie consent mechanisms could be improved. Overall, the site demonstrates high business credibility and trustworthiness, supported by clear contact information and affiliations with reputable institutions.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
AURA holds a strong market position as a key operator of US astronomical research infrastructure, leveraging partnerships with NSF and NASA. Their business model focuses on nonprofit scientific service and education, with revenue likely derived from government funding and grants. The organization targets researchers, educators, and astronomy enthusiasts, providing scientific data, news, and educational resources. The website's content and structure support these goals effectively, with clear navigation and up-to-date news. The presence of a Spanish language partner site indicates regional outreach. The organization's large size and nonprofit status align with its mission-driven operations.
Extracted Contact Information
Marketing Intelligence Data
Email Addresses (1)
Phone Numbers (2)
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website employs HTTPS and Google reCAPTCHA to secure user interactions and data submissions. However, explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options are not evident, representing an area for enhancement. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the HTML content. The absence of a published security policy or incident response information suggests room for improvement in transparency and preparedness. Overall, the security posture is good but could be strengthened by adopting additional best practices and publishing relevant policies.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement comprehensive security headers including CSP, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to enhance protection against common web attacks.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
AURA operates and builds world-class astronomical observatories for the National Science Foundation and NASA and advances research in astronomy
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
good
basic
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enabled
- Use of Google reCAPTCHA for forms
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is fully accessible with no blocking or WAF challenges.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Missing Strict-Transport-Security header
HIGHForces HTTPS connections
Missing X-Frame-Options header
HIGHPrevents clickjacking attacks
Missing X-Content-Type-Options header
MEDIUMPrevents MIME type sniffing
Missing Content-Security-Policy header
HIGHControls resources the browser is allowed to load
Missing X-XSS-Protection header
MEDIUMLegacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)
Missing Referrer-Policy header
LOWControls referrer information sent with requests
Missing Permissions-Policy header
MEDIUMControls browser features and APIs
Sensitive data may be cached
LOWCache-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
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 vulnerability disclosure policy
MEDIUMNIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure
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 vulnerability reporting mechanism
MEDIUMClear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure
No NIS2 reference found
LOWConsider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts
Critical sector without clear security compliance
HIGHDetected sectors: energy, transport, digital
📧Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation
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
Weak Protocols Supported
HIGHServer supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1
Certificate Transparency Not Implemented
LOWCertificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs
SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days
MEDIUMSSL certificate expires in 89 days
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM1 resources loaded over insecure HTTP
Partial SSL/TLS Assessment
LOWCompleted 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints
Protocol Support
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
CAA Records Not Configured
LOWCertificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found
Domain Transfer Lock Not Enabled
MEDIUMDomain can be transferred without authorization
Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled
LOWDomain can be deleted without additional verification
Domain Registration Details
- •No domain protection locks enabled
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