Is carbonads.com Safe? Security Analysis for Carbon Ads
Check if carbonads.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
Carbon Ads is a specialized advertising platform focused on delivering native advertising solutions to developers and creators through an exclusive network of over 600 hand-picked tech sites. Founded in 2010, the company positions itself as a trusted partner for brands seeking to engage technical audiences with respect and authenticity. Their business model revolves around connecting advertisers with publishers via curated campaigns, leveraging high-impact ad units and a managed service approach rather than self-serve options. The website demonstrates strong branding, professional design, and clear messaging tailored to its niche market. Technically, the website employs modern web technologies including HubSpot for form management, Stripe for secure payment processing, and BuySellAds as an advertising network partner. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and includes structured data for SEO enhancement. Analytics are implemented via Fullres, providing moderate user tracking capabilities. However, some security best practices such as explicit security headers and published incident response policies are absent, representing areas for improvement. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS and secure payment gateways, with no visible vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. The lack of WHOIS domain registration data is a notable concern, potentially indicating privacy protection or domain registration inconsistencies. No direct company contact emails or phone numbers are published, with contact limited to web forms. Privacy compliance is partially addressed with a privacy policy present, but cookie consent mechanisms are missing. Overall, Carbon Ads presents as a credible and professional advertising service with a strong market niche. The primary risks relate to domain registration transparency and privacy compliance enhancements. Strategic recommendations include improving security header implementation, publishing incident response and vulnerability disclosure information, and adding cookie consent to align with GDPR requirements.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Carbon Ads operates in the technology advertising sector, targeting developers and creators with native advertising solutions. Their competitive advantage lies in their curated network of tech sites and a managed service model that emphasizes respect for users and publishers. Revenue streams derive from advertiser campaign fees and publisher earnings. The company leverages partnerships with BuySellAds for ad sales infrastructure and Stripe for payments. Growth indicators include long-term operation since 2010 and testimonials from reputable clients. The partnership ecosystem includes BuySellAds platforms and HubSpot for marketing automation. The company maintains a focused market presence without self-serve options, emphasizing quality and performance over volume.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website demonstrates a moderate to strong security posture with mandatory HTTPS and secure payment processing via Stripe. No sensitive data leakage or vulnerable libraries were detected. However, the absence of key security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and Strict-Transport-Security reduces defense-in-depth. No published security policies or incident response contacts limit transparency and readiness perception. Privacy compliance is partial, lacking cookie consent mechanisms. The WHOIS data absence raises questions about domain registration transparency. Overall, the security maturity is adequate for the business type but could be enhanced by adopting additional best practices and transparency measures.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement comprehensive security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, and Strict-Transport-Security to strengthen browser security.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Carbon Ads
Carbon Ads provides developer-focused advertising solutions, serving the independent web since 2010.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
excellent
good
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Secure payment via Stripe
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Use of secure forms with validation
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is fully accessible with rich content and interactive elements.
🛡️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, banking, digital
📧Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation
No DKIM record found
MEDIUMDKIM adds cryptographic signatures to emails
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
No email authentication configured
CRITICALDomain is vulnerable to email spoofing
🏆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
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM1 resources loaded over insecure HTTP
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
No DMARC Record
MEDIUMDMARC policy not configured
DNS Records
DNSSEC Status
DNS Performance
⚡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