
Is dfn.de Safe? Security Analysis for Verein zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes e. V.
Check if dfn.de is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
The DFN (Verein zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes e. V.) operates as a key provider of scientific networking infrastructure in Germany, connecting universities, research institutions, and research-related companies across approximately 850 locations. Their core offering is the X-WiN fiber optic network, supplemented by a suite of communication, security, collaboration, and cloud services tailored for the scientific community. The organization holds a leading position in the German research and education network sector, operating as a non-profit association focused on enabling scientific connectivity and collaboration. Technically, the website is built on a modern WordPress platform with up-to-date plugins such as Yoast SEO and Contact Form 7, and employs Matomo for analytics, indicating a mature digital infrastructure. The site is mobile-optimized, SEO-friendly, and uses modern web standards including lazy loading and CSS grid/flexbox layouts. DNSSEC is enabled, and HTTPS is enforced, reflecting good security hygiene. From a security perspective, the site demonstrates solid fundamentals with encrypted connections and DNS security. However, it lacks explicit HTTP security headers and a cookie consent mechanism, which are important for GDPR compliance and enhanced security posture. No public security or incident response contacts are provided, and no vulnerability disclosure policy is published, which could be improved to strengthen trust and transparency. Overall, the website and domain present a trustworthy and professional front for the DFN association. The domain registration is consistent with the organization's profile, despite limited WHOIS data due to DENIC policies. The site content is safe, relevant, and well-structured, targeting scientific and educational audiences. Strategic improvements in privacy compliance and security transparency would further enhance the organization's digital trustworthiness.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
DFN is positioned as a critical infrastructure provider in the German scientific research ecosystem, offering high-capacity network connectivity and specialized services to universities and research institutions. Their non-profit model focuses on enabling research collaboration and data exchange. The organization benefits from a broad membership base and a strong national presence. Their digital presence supports their mission with clear service offerings and active communication channels via newsletters and social media. The lack of direct contact emails or phone numbers on the homepage suggests a controlled communication approach, likely routed through dedicated contact pages. The use of Matomo analytics indicates a preference for privacy-conscious data collection. The organization could explore expanding transparency around security policies and incident response to align with best practices in the research networking sector.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website enforces HTTPS and DNSSEC, which are strong indicators of secure domain and transport layer configurations. The use of Contact Form 7 suggests secure form handling, but no explicit security headers like Content-Security-Policy or X-Frame-Options were detected, which could mitigate certain web-based attacks. The absence of a cookie consent banner is a GDPR compliance gap, especially given the use of Matomo analytics. No public security or incident response contact information or vulnerability disclosure policies were found, limiting transparency and responsiveness in case of security incidents. Overall, the security posture is solid but could be enhanced by implementing recommended HTTP headers, publishing security policies, and providing clear incident response contacts.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement HTTP security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and Strict-Transport-Security to enhance protection against common web attacks.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Verein zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes e. V.
DFN betreibt und entwickelt die Kommunikationsinfrastruktur für die Wissenschaft in Deutschland, verbindet Hochschulen, Forschungseinrichtungen und forschungsnahe Unternehmen an rund 850 Standorten.
good
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
good
basic
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- DNSSEC enabled
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Use of secure forms (Contact Form 7)
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is fully accessible with no blocking or WAF challenges.
🛡️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
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
EU business without adequate privacy measures
CRITICALEU businesses are subject to strict GDPR requirements
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: transport, digital
📧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 DMARC reporting
LOWDMARC aggregate reports not configured
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 Soon
HIGHSSL certificate expires in 8 days
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
Domain Transfer Lock Not Enabled
MEDIUMDomain can be transferred without authorization
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
- •No domain protection locks enabled
DNS Records
DNSSEC Status
DNS Performance
SPF Analysis
⚡Network Security
Port scanning and network exposure analysis.
Network Security
Port scanning and network exposure analysis
Service Exposed: SSH
MEDIUMPort 22 (SSH) is publicly accessible - SSH - Secure but can be brute-forced
🔧Technical Analysis
Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.
Technical Analysis
Comprehensive security assessment findings