Is carbonads.net Safe? Security Analysis for Carbon Ads
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AI Summary
Carbon Ads is a specialized advertising platform focused on delivering native advertising solutions to developers and creators. Established in 2010, it operates a curated network of over 600 tech-focused sites, providing advertisers with targeted access to a valuable audience. The platform emphasizes respectful advertising that integrates seamlessly with publisher content, supported by testimonials from industry professionals. Technically, the website employs modern web standards, HubSpot for form management, and Stripe for secure payment processing, reflecting a mature digital infrastructure. Security posture is strong with HTTPS and secure payment integration, though some security headers and explicit cookie consent mechanisms are absent. The lack of publicly available WHOIS data suggests privacy protection, which is reasonable for this business type but slightly reduces transparency. Overall, Carbon Ads presents a professional, trustworthy, and well-structured platform for developer-focused advertising.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Carbon Ads occupies a niche market segment targeting developers and creators with native advertising solutions. Its competitive advantage lies in its exclusive network of hand-picked tech sites and a respectful advertising approach that resonates with technical audiences. The business model revolves around connecting advertisers with publishers through managed campaigns rather than self-serve options, ensuring quality and performance. Revenue streams likely include advertising fees and campaign management services. The company leverages partnerships with BuySellAds for buying and selling ads, enhancing its ecosystem. Growth indicators include long-term operation since 2010 and multiple case studies demonstrating campaign success. The platform's strategic focus on developer communities and technical authenticity positions it well within the technology advertising sector.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website demonstrates a solid security foundation with HTTPS enforced and secure payment processing via Stripe. No sensitive data is exposed in the HTML content, and the use of structured data enhances trustworthiness. However, the absence of common security headers such as Content Security Policy (CSP), HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), and X-Frame-Options represents an area for improvement. There is no publicly available security policy or incident response contact information, which could enhance transparency and readiness. The lack of a cookie consent mechanism may pose compliance risks under GDPR. Overall, the security posture is good but could be strengthened by implementing additional headers, publishing security policies, and enhancing privacy compliance measures.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement standard security headers including CSP, HSTS, and X-Frame-Options to harden the website against common attacks.
✨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 processing via Stripe
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Use of structured data for SEO and trust
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
SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days
MEDIUMSSL certificate expires in 78 days
Weak SSL Key Length
HIGHSSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM1 resources loaded over insecure HTTP
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
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