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Is dss.gov.au a Scam? Security Check Results - Department of Social Services

dss.gov.au Security Report Summary

dss.gov.au received a security score of 56 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Elevated Risk". This report covers Department of Social Services's website security posture. Department of Social Services operates in the Government industry in Australia.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) website serves as the official online presence of the Australian Government's department responsible for improving the economic and social wellbeing of individuals, families, and vulnerable community members. The site provides comprehensive information on various social programs including community support, disability services, family and children support, housing, and violence prevention. The department holds a strong market position as a government entity with enterprise scale and a clear focus on public service delivery. Technically, the website is built on Drupal 10 and hosted on the GovCMS platform, ensuring modern content management capabilities and compliance with government digital standards. The site integrates Google Analytics and Tag Manager with privacy-conscious configurations such as IP anonymization. Accessibility and mobile optimization are excellent, supporting a wide range of users. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and includes standard security headers, reflecting good security hygiene. However, explicit security policies and incident response information are not publicly available, representing an area for improvement. The WHOIS data is restricted, typical for government domains, but the domain's .gov.au TLD and content authenticity strongly indicate legitimacy. Overall, the DSS website demonstrates a mature digital presence with strong content quality, technical implementation, and business credibility. Strategic recommendations include publishing detailed security and incident response policies, implementing a vulnerability disclosure program, and enhancing transparency around data protection contacts.

The security scan identified 18 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: Drupal 10, GovCMS, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, ReadSpeaker webReader.

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.

D

Is dss.gov.au Safe? Security Analysis for Department of Social Services

https://dss.gov.au

Check if dss.gov.au is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

GovernmentAustraliaenterprise
Drupal 10GovCMSGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag ManagerReadSpeaker webReader
Analyzed 7/7/2025Completed 7:06:01 PM9mo ago
56
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Below Government avg (70)

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domaindss.gov.au
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AI Summary

The Department of Social Services (DSS) website serves as the official online presence of the Australian Government's department responsible for improving the economic and social wellbeing of individuals, families, and vulnerable community members. The site provides comprehensive information on various social programs including community support, disability services, family and children support, housing, and violence prevention. The department holds a strong market position as a government entity with enterprise scale and a clear focus on public service delivery. Technically, the website is built on Drupal 10 and hosted on the GovCMS platform, ensuring modern content management capabilities and compliance with government digital standards. The site integrates Google Analytics and Tag Manager with privacy-conscious configurations such as IP anonymization. Accessibility and mobile optimization are excellent, supporting a wide range of users. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and includes standard security headers, reflecting good security hygiene. However, explicit security policies and incident response information are not publicly available, representing an area for improvement. The WHOIS data is restricted, typical for government domains, but the domain's .gov.au TLD and content authenticity strongly indicate legitimacy. Overall, the DSS website demonstrates a mature digital presence with strong content quality, technical implementation, and business credibility. Strategic recommendations include publishing detailed security and incident response policies, implementing a vulnerability disclosure program, and enhancing transparency around data protection contacts.

Detected Technologies

Drupal 10GovCMSGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag ManagerReadSpeaker webReader

7 urgent findings need attention

1 critical · 6 high

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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

1 finding

0/100

GDPR Compliance

3 findings

58/100

NIS2 Compliance

6 findings

35/100

Email Security

3 findings

85/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

DSS operates as a key Australian Government department focused on social welfare and community support. Its business model is non-commercial, centered on policy implementation and public service. The department targets Australian residents requiring social assistance, including vulnerable populations. The website reflects a well-established government entity with a broad portfolio of social programs. Partnerships include ministerial sites and government agencies. The department's digital presence supports transparency, accessibility, and citizen engagement, reinforcing its authoritative market position.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website exhibits a solid security posture with enforced HTTPS, comprehensive security headers, and privacy-conscious analytics configurations. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the HTML content. However, the absence of publicly available security policies, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms limits transparency and may impact incident handling readiness. The restricted WHOIS data is consistent with government domain privacy practices and does not raise suspicion. Overall, the security maturity is good but could be enhanced by publishing formal security governance documents.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response page to improve transparency and user trust.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Department of Social Services

Description:

Improving the economic and social wellbeing of individuals, families and vulnerable members of Australian communities.

Key Services:
Community supportFamilies and children servicesDisability and carers supportHousing and living arrangementsEnding violence and abuse programs
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
Drupal 10GovCMSGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag ManagerReadSpeaker webReader
Frameworks:
Drupal CMS
Platforms:
GovCMS
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

excellent

Accessibility:

excellent

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • IP anonymization in Google Analytics
  • Accessibility compliance
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML

Analytics & Tracking

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

Advertising & Marketing

Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Official Australian government website for Department of Social Services

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

0/100
Score
Analysis failed - content could not be retrieved

👤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

35/100
Score

No information security framework found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures

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 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

85/100
Score

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 ip4:203.217.150.16/28 include:servers.mcsv.net include:spf.swiftdigital.com.au -all
DNS Lookups:2/10
Policy:-all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:k2(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:selector1(1416-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:reject
Aggregate Reports:dhs-au@rua.agari.com
Forensic Reports:dhs-au@ruf.agari.com

🏆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

1 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

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

Domain Registration Details

Protection Level
strongDNSSEC OFF

DNS Records

A Records:54.252.75.26, 13.236.242.190, 54.206.239.18
Name Servers:
g1ns01.fms.gov.au
g2ns01.fms.gov.au
MX Records:
10: mailv1.fahcsia.gov.au
SOA:Serial: 2016072316, TTL: 900s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:354ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 ip4:203.217.150.16/28 include:servers.mcsv.net include:spf.swiftdigital.com.au -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 dss.gov.au compare?

See how dss.gov.au 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 leverages Drupal 10 on the GovCMS platform, a government-specific CMS hosting solution, ensuring compliance with Australian government digital standards. The site uses modern JavaScript libraries and integrates Google Analytics and Tag Manager with IP anonymization for privacy. Accessibility features such as skip links and ReadSpeaker integration demonstrate commitment to inclusive design. Performance is moderate, with potential for optimization. The site is mobile responsive and SEO optimized with proper meta tags and Open Graph data. No technical debt or deprecated technologies were observed.
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PDF Report & Export

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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

Domaindss.gov.au
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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