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Is crain.com a Scam? Security Check Results - Crain Communications

crain.com Security Report Summary

crain.com received a security score of 46 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Elevated Risk". This report covers Crain Communications's website security posture. Crain Communications operates in the Media industry in N/a.

Crain Communications operates as a leading global business media publisher with a portfolio of 26 brands delivering trusted news, data, and insights across multiple sectors including advertising, automotive, healthcare, finance, and staffing. The company targets business leaders, advertisers, prospective employees, vendors, and media professionals, positioning itself as a key information provider with a long-standing history dating back to 1916. The website reflects a professional and consistent brand image with comprehensive content and a clear business focus. Technically, the website is built on a modern WordPress platform utilizing popular plugins such as Yoast SEO, Elementor, and Slider Revolution. It employs Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager for analytics and tracking, with asynchronous script loading to optimize performance. The site is mobile-optimized and demonstrates good SEO practices, though accessibility features are basic. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with a good SSL configuration but lacks explicit security headers and visible security or incident response policies. No cookie consent mechanism was detected, which may impact GDPR compliance. The absence of WHOIS data for the domain is a notable anomaly, suggesting either privacy protection or a registration discrepancy, which should be investigated further. Overall, the website presents a low risk with strong business credibility and technical maturity but would benefit from enhanced security policies, privacy compliance mechanisms, and WHOIS transparency to improve trust and compliance posture.

The security scan identified 30 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: WordPress 6.7.4, Yoast SEO Premium, Elementor, Slider Revolution, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, jQuery.

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 crain.com Safe? Security Analysis for Crain Communications

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MediaN/amedium
WordPress 6.7.4Yoast SEO PremiumElementorSlider RevolutionGoogle Tag Manager+2 more
Analyzed 10/23/2025Completed 2:38:56 AM5mo ago
46
Security Score
HIGH RISK

Below Media avg (58)

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Domains scanned

500+

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SEQ SIA

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

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

AI Summary

Crain Communications operates as a leading global business media publisher with a portfolio of 26 brands delivering trusted news, data, and insights across multiple sectors including advertising, automotive, healthcare, finance, and staffing. The company targets business leaders, advertisers, prospective employees, vendors, and media professionals, positioning itself as a key information provider with a long-standing history dating back to 1916. The website reflects a professional and consistent brand image with comprehensive content and a clear business focus. Technically, the website is built on a modern WordPress platform utilizing popular plugins such as Yoast SEO, Elementor, and Slider Revolution. It employs Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager for analytics and tracking, with asynchronous script loading to optimize performance. The site is mobile-optimized and demonstrates good SEO practices, though accessibility features are basic. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with a good SSL configuration but lacks explicit security headers and visible security or incident response policies. No cookie consent mechanism was detected, which may impact GDPR compliance. The absence of WHOIS data for the domain is a notable anomaly, suggesting either privacy protection or a registration discrepancy, which should be investigated further. Overall, the website presents a low risk with strong business credibility and technical maturity but would benefit from enhanced security policies, privacy compliance mechanisms, and WHOIS transparency to improve trust and compliance posture.

Detected Technologies

WordPress 6.7.4Yoast SEO PremiumElementorSlider RevolutionGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsjQuery

9 urgent findings need attention

1 critical · 8 high

  • + 1 more findings in the full report below
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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

7 findings

30/100

GDPR Compliance

3 findings

58/100

NIS2 Compliance

8 findings

17/100

Email Security

6 findings

65/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

Crain Communications holds a strong market position as a privately held business media leader with a diversified portfolio of brands serving various professional sectors. Its business model revolves around providing high-quality news, data, and advertising opportunities to targeted audiences. The company leverages its multiple brands to reach niche markets effectively, offering advertisers access to key decision-makers. The website's content and structure indicate a focus on delivering value to business leaders and advertisers, supporting revenue streams from subscriptions, advertising, and data services. The presence of multiple social media channels and brand subsidiaries highlights a broad partnership ecosystem and a well-established market presence.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a moderate security maturity level with HTTPS enforced and no visible vulnerabilities in the front-end code. However, the lack of security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options reduces the overall security posture. There is no public security policy or incident response information, which limits transparency and preparedness perception. The absence of a cookie consent mechanism raises compliance concerns under GDPR. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected. Overall, the security posture is adequate but could be significantly improved with better header implementation, privacy compliance, and published security policies.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement comprehensive security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to enhance protection against common web attacks.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Crain Communications

Description:

Crain Communications is one of the largest privately held business media publishers in the world. Across 24 brands and 10 offices worldwide, Crain employees share a passion and purpose to deliver exceptional news products. Crain understands that our employees are our most valuable resource. That’s why we are committed to investing in top talent and providing the tools and resources they need to excel, not only in their projects, but in their career. We promote collaboration, innovation and a sense of fun all while working to make a difference in ways that are rewarding both personally and professionally.

Key Services:
business news and informationtrusted insights and data across sectorsadvertising access to targeted audiences
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
WordPress 6.7.4Yoast SEO PremiumElementorSlider RevolutionGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsjQuery
Frameworks:
WordPress
Platforms:
WordPress CMS
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
75/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enabled
  • Google Tag Manager and Analytics scripts loaded asynchronously

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsGoogle Tag Manager
Tracking Level:moderate
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Marketing Tools:
Yoast SEOElementorSlider Revolution
Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Website is fully accessible with rich content and professional design

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

30/100
Score

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

58/100
Score

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

No Cookie Consent Banner found

HIGH

GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant

MEDIUM

Privacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy85% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
phone

🛡️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

65/100
Score

Complex SPF record

LOW

Too many include statements can cause lookup limits

DMARC not enforcing

MEDIUM

DMARC policy is set to "none"

No DMARC reporting

LOW

DMARC aggregate reports not configured

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 ip4:72.35.20.197 ip4:52.6.112.187 ip4:104.198.14.52 ip4:205.159.47.0/24 ip4:66.238.170.32/28 ip4:205.246.0.131/32 ip4:161.77.55.120/29 ip4:161.77.58.124/32 ip4:207.166.92.11 ip4:207.166.95.11 ip4:207.166.101.207 ip4:207.166.104.207 ip4:72.166.182.17 ip4:192.254.116.40 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:_spf.psm.knowbe4.com include:_spf.atlassian.net include:aspmx.sailthru.com include:_spf.salesforce.com include:_spf.qualtrics.com include:usb._netblocks.mimecast.com ~all
DNS Lookups:7/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:s1(1440-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:none

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

0/100
Score

Unable to retrieve SSL certificate

CRITICAL

Could not establish secure connection to retrieve certificate information

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

2 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

80/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

DMARC Policy Set to None

LOW

DMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy

DNS Records

A Records:3.138.73.154
Name Servers:
ns-1444.awsdns-52.orgDNS only
ns-1726.awsdns-23.co.ukDNS only
ns-200.awsdns-25.comDNS only
ns-669.awsdns-19.netDNS only
MX Records:
10: usb-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
10: usb-smtp-inbound-2.mimecast.com
SOA:Serial: 1, TTL: 86400s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:85ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 ip4:72.35.20.197 ip4:52.6.112.187 ip4:104.198.14.52 ip4:205.159.47.0/24 ip4:66.238.170.32/28 ip4:205.246.0.131/32 ip4:161.77.55.120/29 ip4:161.77.58.124/32 ip4:207.166.92.11 ip4:207.166.95.11 ip4:207.166.101.207 ip4:207.166.104.207 ip4:72.166.182.17 ip4:192.254.116.40 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:_spf.psm.knowbe4.com include:_spf.atlassian.net include:aspmx.sailthru.com include:_spf.salesforce.com include:_spf.qualtrics.com include:usb._netblocks.mimecast.com ~all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

40/100
Score

Service Exposed: SSH

MEDIUM

Port 22 (SSH) is publicly accessible - SSH - Secure but can be brute-forced

How does crain.com compare?

crain.com scores below average. Browse similar domains to see how competitors handle security.

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on WordPress 6.7.4 with a modern tech stack including Yoast SEO Premium for search optimization, Elementor for page building, and Slider Revolution for interactive content. It uses Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics for tracking and analytics, loaded asynchronously to optimize page load times. The site is mobile responsive with good SEO metadata and structured data (JSON-LD) for enhanced search engine understanding. Performance is moderate with room for improvement in accessibility features. Hosting provider details are not explicitly available. Overall, the technical infrastructure supports a professional and scalable digital presence but could benefit from enhanced accessibility and security configurations.
Professional PDF & Marketing Data

Download the crain.com report as PDF

Get the complete analysis in a shareable PDF format, delivered instantly to your email with lifetime access.

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

Domaincrain.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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