Is defector.com Safe? Security Analysis for Defector
Check if defector.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
Defector is an employee-owned sports and culture media website founded by former Deadspin staffers. It operates a subscription-based business model supplemented by advertising and merchandise sales. The site targets sports and culture enthusiasts with a focus on quality journalism, podcasts, and interactive content such as crosswords. The website demonstrates a consistent brand identity and maintains a loyal audience with active engagement in comments. Technically, Defector uses modern web technologies including React and Next.js, hosted with Cloudflare DNS services. The site is mobile-optimized and performs moderately well, though some accessibility features are basic. Security posture is adequate with HTTPS enabled and domain transfer protections, but lacks DNSSEC and security headers. Privacy compliance is weak due to absence of privacy and cookie policies. Overall, the site is credible and trustworthy but would benefit from enhanced privacy and security practices.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Defector occupies a niche position in independent media, leveraging its employee-owned status as a competitive advantage. Its revenue streams include subscriptions, advertising via BuySellAds, and merchandise sales through a dedicated store. The target market is sports and culture fans seeking alternative media voices. The company has a long domain history dating back to 1999, supporting its legitimacy. Partnerships include the merchandise domain defectorstore.com. Growth indicators include active content publishing and community engagement. Strategic observations suggest opportunities to improve compliance and security to strengthen market trust.
Extracted Contact Information
Marketing Intelligence Data
Email Addresses (18)
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website employs HTTPS and has domain transfer protections, indicating a baseline security awareness. However, the lack of DNSSEC and security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and Strict-Transport-Security reduces its defense-in-depth. No explicit security or incident response policies are published, and no dedicated security contact channels are found. The use of third-party scripts like BuySellAds introduces potential risk vectors that require regular auditing. Privacy compliance gaps, including missing privacy and cookie policies, expose the site to regulatory risk. Overall, the security maturity is moderate but requires improvements to meet best practices and regulatory expectations.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Enable DNSSEC on the domain to enhance DNS security and prevent spoofing.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Defector
Defector is an employee-owned sports and culture website brought to you by the former staffers of Deadspin.
good
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
good
basic
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enabled
- clientTransferProhibited domain status
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is an employee-owned sports and culture media outlet
🛡️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
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
📧Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation
DMARC not enforcing
MEDIUMDMARC policy is set to "none"
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
SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days
MEDIUMSSL certificate expires in 57 days
Weak SSL Key Length
HIGHSSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak
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
Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled
LOWDomain can be deleted without additional verification
DMARC Policy Set to None
LOWDMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy
Domain Registration Details
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