Is cnet.com Safe? Security Analysis for CNET
Check if cnet.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
CNET is a leading technology media website providing product reviews, tech news, software downloads, and daily deals to a global audience. Owned by Paramount Global, it holds a strong market position as a trusted source for consumer technology information. The website demonstrates a mature digital infrastructure with extensive use of modern JavaScript frameworks, performance monitoring via New Relic, and integration with major advertising and analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, Amazon Ads, and Facebook Pixel. Security posture is robust with HTTPS enforcement and standard security headers, although explicit security policies and incident response details are not publicly documented. Privacy compliance is well addressed with comprehensive privacy and cookie policies and consent mechanisms. Overall, CNET presents a professional, trustworthy, and technically sound online presence.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
CNET operates primarily in the media sector, targeting general consumers interested in technology products and news. Its business model is advertising-supported, leveraging partnerships with major ad networks and affiliate programs. The company benefits from a strong brand reputation and a broad content offering that includes reviews, news, and video content. The parent company, Ziff Davis, provides additional corporate backing. The website's extensive use of tracking and analytics indicates a focus on data-driven marketing and user engagement strategies. No suspicious domains or practices were detected, and the site maintains good transparency in privacy and cookie management.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website employs HTTPS with strong SSL/TLS configurations and implements key security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options, enhancing protection against common web threats. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were identified in the HTML content. However, the absence of a publicly available security policy or vulnerability disclosure program limits transparency. Incident response contact information is not provided, which could be improved to align with best practices. The site uses multiple third-party scripts and ad networks, which should be regularly audited to mitigate supply chain risks. Overall, the security posture is strong but could benefit from enhanced disclosure and incident response readiness.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response page to improve transparency and trust.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
CNET
Get full-length product reviews, the latest news, tech coverage, daily deals, and category deep dives from CNET experts worldwide.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
fast
excellent
good
excellent
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Use of security headers
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Secure cookie consent mechanism
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is fully accessible with rich content and no blocking detected.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
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
GDPR Compliance Analysis
🛡️NIS2 Compliance
Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.
NIS2 Compliance
Network & Information Security Directive
No vulnerability disclosure policy
MEDIUMNIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure
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
📧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
OCSP Stapling Not Enabled
LOWOCSP stapling improves performance and privacy
Certificate Transparency Not Implemented
LOWCertificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs
SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days
MEDIUMSSL certificate expires in 66 days
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
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