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Is cottages.com a Scam? Security Check Results - Cottages.com

cottages.com Security Report Summary

cottages.com received a security score of 70 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Moderate Risk". This report covers Cottages.com's website security posture. Cottages.com operates in the Hospitality industry in United Kingdom.

Cottages.com is a well-established UK-based online platform specializing in self-catering holiday cottage bookings. With over 45 years of experience and a portfolio exceeding 18,000 properties, it serves a broad audience including families, couples, and pet owners. The company emphasizes customer satisfaction, demonstrated by its adherence to ABTA's Code of Conduct and excellent Trustpilot ratings. Technically, the website leverages modern frameworks such as Next.js and integrates advanced analytics and consent management tools, ensuring a robust digital presence. Security measures include HTTPS enforcement, reCAPTCHA Enterprise, and comprehensive privacy controls, although a dedicated security policy page is absent. Overall, cottages.com presents a professional, trustworthy, and user-friendly platform with strong market positioning in the UK holiday accommodation sector.

The security scan identified 26 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: React (Next.js), Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Google reCAPTCHA Enterprise, Usercentrics CMP, AppsFlyer, New Relic monitoring.

About this security scan

Guard performs automated security assessments of websites by analyzing SSL/TLS certificates, HTTP security headers, DNS configuration, email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), GDPR compliance indicators, NIS2 directive compliance, network exposure, and AI-powered business intelligence. Each report provides domain-specific findings, risk scores, and actionable recommendations.

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Is cottages.com Safe? Security Analysis for Cottages.com

https://cottages.com

Check if cottages.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

HospitalityUnited Kingdomlarge
React (Next.js)Google Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsGoogle reCAPTCHA EnterpriseUsercentrics CMP+2 more
Analyzed 10/25/2025Completed 9:25:41 AM5mo ago
70
Security Score
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500+

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Order summary

Domaincottages.com
Access tierFull report or marketing add-on

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Secure payments processed via EveryPay. Prices in EUR; Incl. 21% VAT.

SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

AI Summary

Cottages.com is a well-established UK-based online platform specializing in self-catering holiday cottage bookings. With over 45 years of experience and a portfolio exceeding 18,000 properties, it serves a broad audience including families, couples, and pet owners. The company emphasizes customer satisfaction, demonstrated by its adherence to ABTA's Code of Conduct and excellent Trustpilot ratings. Technically, the website leverages modern frameworks such as Next.js and integrates advanced analytics and consent management tools, ensuring a robust digital presence. Security measures include HTTPS enforcement, reCAPTCHA Enterprise, and comprehensive privacy controls, although a dedicated security policy page is absent. Overall, cottages.com presents a professional, trustworthy, and user-friendly platform with strong market positioning in the UK holiday accommodation sector.

Detected Technologies

React (Next.js)Google Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsGoogle reCAPTCHA EnterpriseUsercentrics CMPAppsFlyerNew Relic monitoring

8 urgent findings need attention

8 high

Continuous monitoring

Keep cottages.com under constant watch

Guard tracks your live infrastructure daily: certificate expiry, DNS & mail authentication drift, uptime changes, subdomain inventory, and unexpected tracker or content shifts. A full timeline captures every diff so you can prove remediation and spot regressions instantly.

Security drift alerts

Risk score drops, new high-severity issues, and header hardening gaps

Compliance watch

GDPR / NIS2 posture changes with governance evidence snapshots

Infrastructure surface

Unexpected open services, SSL expiry, DNS & email authentication changes

Content & tracker intelligence

Marketing tech shifts, analytics drift, and AI recommendation updates

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Security Headers

8 findings

15/100

GDPR Compliance

1 finding

88/100

NIS2 Compliance

8 findings

17/100

Email Security

5 findings

70/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

The business operates in the hospitality sector, focusing on holiday cottage rentals across the UK. Its business model is primarily an online booking platform offering a wide range of cottages with flexible payment options and specialized collections. The company benefits from a strong brand, extensive property listings, and a loyal customer base. Partnerships with Awaze Group and related domains like owners.awaze.com enhance its operational capabilities. The presence of mobile apps and active social media channels indicates a mature digital marketing strategy. The company targets UK residents and tourists seeking diverse holiday experiences, from luxury to dog-friendly stays. Its market position is strong, supported by trust signals and a comprehensive service offering.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Company Registration

Legal Name:

Cottages.com

VAT Number:

GB 598 22 99 77

Registration Number:

Registration Number 00965389

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and multiple security headers implemented. Use of Google reCAPTCHA Enterprise and Usercentrics CMP indicates proactive bot mitigation and privacy compliance. However, the absence of a public security policy or vulnerability disclosure program limits transparency. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the HTML content. Incident response contact details are not publicly available, which could be improved. Overall, the security measures are robust for a consumer-facing hospitality website, but additional transparency and formal policies would enhance trust and compliance.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a dedicated security policy page outlining security practices and compliance.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Cottages.com

Description:

cottages.com is your go-to destination for an extensive selection of memorable self-catering cottage holidays. With over 45 years of experience, they offer more than 18,000 holiday homes across the UK catering to every budget. They emphasize high customer service standards, adherence to ABTA's Code of Conduct, and have an excellent Trustpilot rating.

Key Services:
Holiday cottage bookingsSpecialized collections (dog-friendly, hot tubs, luxury, last-minute deals)Flexible payment options including low deposit and monthly plansCustomer support
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
React (Next.js)Google Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsGoogle reCAPTCHA EnterpriseUsercentrics CMPAppsFlyerNew Relic monitoring
Frameworks:
Next.js
Platforms:
Web
Performance:

fast

Mobile:

excellent

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
90/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • reCAPTCHA Enterprise for bot protection
  • Consent management via Usercentrics
  • Use of security headers
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsGoogle Tag ManagerNew Relic
Tracking Level:extensive
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Tracking Pixels:
AppsFlyerTrustpilot widget
Marketing Tools:
Usercentrics Consent Management
Transparency Level:good

Website Quality Assessment

Design Quality:excellent
User Experience:excellent
Content Relevance:excellent
Navigation Clarity:excellent
Professionalism:excellent
Trustworthiness:high

Key Observations

1

Website is fully accessible with rich content and no blocking detected

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

15/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

Missing X-Content-Type-Options header

MEDIUM

Prevents MIME type sniffing

Missing Content-Security-Policy header

HIGH

Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Missing Referrer-Policy header

LOW

Controls referrer information sent with requests

Missing Permissions-Policy header

MEDIUM

Controls browser features and APIs

Sensitive data may be cached

LOW

Cache-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

88/100
Score

Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant

MEDIUM

Privacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy85% confidence
Cookie Policy85% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

17/100
Score

No information security framework found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures

No vulnerability disclosure policy

MEDIUM

NIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure

No security policy documentation found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management

No incident response procedures found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans

No business continuity planning found

MEDIUM

NIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity

No security contact information

HIGH

NIS2 requires clear incident reporting channels

No vulnerability reporting mechanism

MEDIUM

Clear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure

No NIS2 reference found

LOW

Consider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts

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📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

70/100
Score

Complex SPF record

LOW

Too many include statements can cause lookup limits

Weak DKIM Key

HIGH

DKIM selector 'email' uses 424-bit key

No BIMI Record

LOW

BIMI displays brand logos in email clients

No MTA-STS Policy

MEDIUM

MTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery

No TLS-RPT Record

LOW

TLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues

SPF
Sender Policy Framework
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication
MX Records
Mail Exchange Records
BIMI
Brand Indicators
MTA-STS
Mail Transfer Agent Security
TLS-RPT
TLS Reporting
DNSSEC
DNS Security
SPF Details
Record:
v=spf1 include:eu._netblocks.mimecast.com include:aspmx.pardot.com include:_spf.salesforce.com ip4:109.203.119.61 ip4:3.10.160.134 ip4:3.11.143.58 ip4:3.11.177.249 ip4:3.8.255.115 include:amazonses.com ip4:205.220.173.165 ip4:205.220.161.165 include:_spf.eu.sparkpostmail.com ~all
DNS Lookups:5/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:selector1(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:email(424-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:reject
Aggregate Reports:7f4d6a449ce1791@rep.dmarcanalyzer.com
Forensic Reports:7f4d6a449ce1791@for.dmarcanalyzer.com

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

100/100
Score

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Certificate Details

Subject:age.awaze.com
Issuer:Amazon RSA 2048 M03
Valid Until:9/13/2026 (323 days)
SANs:age.awaze.com, *.postbook.awaze.com, www.cottages.com +8 more

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

85/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

DNS Records

A Records:18.169.197.47, 3.10.132.217
Name Servers:
ns-1183.awsdns-19.orgDNS only
ns-1578.awsdns-05.co.ukDNS only
ns-481.awsdns-60.comDNS only
ns-977.awsdns-58.netDNS only
MX Records:
10: eu-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
10: eu-smtp-inbound-2.mimecast.com
SOA:Serial: 1, TTL: 86400s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:40ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:eu._netblocks.mimecast.com include:aspmx.pardot.com include:_spf.salesforce.com ip4:109.203.119.61 ip4:3.10.160.134 ip4:3.11.143.58 ip4:3.11.177.249 ip4:3.8.255.115 include:amazonses.com ip4:205.220.173.165 ip4:205.220.161.165 include:_spf.eu.sparkpostmail.com ~all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

100/100
Score

Good Network Security Posture

LOW

No unnecessary services detected on common risky ports

How does cottages.com compare?

See how cottages.com stacks up against similar websites in the same industry.

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on a modern React-based framework (Next.js) with server-side rendering for performance and SEO benefits. It uses Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, and New Relic for monitoring and analytics. The site is mobile-optimized with responsive design and preloading of critical assets. Consent management is handled via Usercentrics, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. Hosting appears to be via Awaze's infrastructure or a CDN. The technical implementation is solid, with no visible technical debt or performance bottlenecks. Opportunities exist to improve accessibility features and provide more detailed technical documentation for security and privacy.
Professional PDF & Marketing Data

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PDF Report & Export

PDF download, email delivery, unlock code

39.90 €one-time • Incl. 21% VAT

Marketing Intelligence

Contact emails, phone numbers & warm leads

49.90 €one-time • Incl. 21% VAT

Plan Comparison

FeaturePDF ReportMarketing+
Full security analysis
Professional PDF export
Email delivery
Lifetime access + unlock code
Contact emails & phones
Marketing outreach data

Already purchased?

Order summary

Domaincottages.com
Access tierFull report or marketing add-on

Digital reports are delivered immediately after payment. By continuing you acknowledge the withdrawal waiver described in our Returns & Refunds policy.

VisaMastercardApple PayGoogle Pay

Secure payments processed via EveryPay. Prices in EUR; Incl. 21% VAT.

SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

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