Is bbk.ac.uk Safe? Security Analysis for Birkbeck, University of London
Check if bbk.ac.uk is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
Birkbeck, University of London is a well-established higher education institution specializing in flexible learning options including evening, daytime, and online courses. The website reflects a strong market position as a member of the University of London, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs. The institution targets students, researchers, alumni, and businesses, providing a comprehensive range of academic and support services. The site is professionally designed with consistent branding and multiple trust indicators such as accreditations and student testimonials. Technically, the website employs modern web technologies including jQuery, Foundation CSS framework, lazy loading for images, and Google Tag Manager for analytics. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and performs well with fast loading times. Security practices include HTTPS enforcement and cookie consent mechanisms, though explicit security headers and a published security policy are absent. The security posture is solid with no visible vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. Privacy compliance is strong with clear privacy and cookie policies and GDPR adherence. However, WHOIS data is unavailable, likely due to privacy protection, which is justified for this type of institution. Overall, the website is trustworthy, professional, and secure, serving its educational mission effectively.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Birkbeck operates in the education sector with a focus on flexible and accessible higher education. Its competitive advantage lies in its evening and online study options, affiliation with the University of London, and a strong research culture. Revenue streams likely include tuition fees, research grants, and short course enrollments. The target customer segments include domestic and international students, researchers, and lifelong learners. Growth indicators include active promotion of clearing applications and campus tours. The partnership ecosystem includes University of London and various accreditation bodies. Strategic observations highlight a mature digital presence with room for enhanced security transparency.
Extracted Contact Information
Marketing Intelligence Data
Phone Numbers (1)
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website demonstrates a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and cookie consent implemented. No sensitive data is exposed in the HTML, and forms are secured with autocomplete off where appropriate. However, the absence of explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options is a gap. There is no published security policy or incident response contact, which limits transparency. No vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file is present. Overall, the site is secure but could improve in security communication and header implementation.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement and publish a comprehensive security policy including incident response procedures.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Birkbeck, University of London
We specialise in learning that fits around you: we teach in the evenings, during the day, and online. We’re a world class teaching and research institution and we award University of London degrees.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
fast
excellent
good
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Use of cookie consent mechanism
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Secure forms with autocomplete off where appropriate
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is professionally designed and well maintained
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Missing Strict-Transport-Security header
HIGHForces HTTPS connections
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)
Weak Referrer-Policy configuration
LOWCurrent value: "same-origin"
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 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: transport, banking, health, digital
📧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
DMARC not enforcing
MEDIUMDMARC policy is set to "none"
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
Partial SSL/TLS Assessment
LOWCompleted 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints
Certificate Details
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
DMARC Policy Set to None
LOWDMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy
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