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Is durham.ac.uk a Scam? Security Check Results - Durham University

durham.ac.uk Security Report Summary

durham.ac.uk received a security score of 66 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Moderate Risk". This report covers Durham University's website security posture. Durham University operates in the Education industry in United Kingdom.

Durham University is a well-established higher education institution in the United Kingdom, offering a broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and international study programs. The website reflects a strong market position with a focus on research impact, student support, and global partnerships. The domain's long registration history and direct registration with Nominet reinforce its legitimacy. Technically, the site employs modern web technologies including Alpine.js, Google Tag Manager, and various analytics and tracking tools, managed via the Terminalfour CMS platform. The website is mobile-optimized, accessible, and SEO-friendly, providing an excellent user experience. Security-wise, the site uses HTTPS and secure form practices but lacks explicit security headers and published security policies or incident response contacts. Privacy compliance is basic, with no visible privacy or cookie policies or consent mechanisms in the provided content. Overall, the site is professional and trustworthy but could improve transparency and compliance in privacy and security disclosures.

The security scan identified 32 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Alpine.js, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Facebook SDK, Hotjar, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Curator.io, Microsoft Clarity.

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 durham.ac.uk Safe? Security Analysis for Durham University

http://durham.ac.uk

Check if durham.ac.uk is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

EducationUnited Kingdomlarge
HTML5CSS3JavaScriptAlpine.jsGoogle Tag Manager+6 more
Analyzed 6/27/2025Completed 2:04:17 AM9mo ago
66
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Above Education avg (55)

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

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AI Summary

Durham University is a well-established higher education institution in the United Kingdom, offering a broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and international study programs. The website reflects a strong market position with a focus on research impact, student support, and global partnerships. The domain's long registration history and direct registration with Nominet reinforce its legitimacy. Technically, the site employs modern web technologies including Alpine.js, Google Tag Manager, and various analytics and tracking tools, managed via the Terminalfour CMS platform. The website is mobile-optimized, accessible, and SEO-friendly, providing an excellent user experience. Security-wise, the site uses HTTPS and secure form practices but lacks explicit security headers and published security policies or incident response contacts. Privacy compliance is basic, with no visible privacy or cookie policies or consent mechanisms in the provided content. Overall, the site is professional and trustworthy but could improve transparency and compliance in privacy and security disclosures.

Detected Technologies

HTML5CSS3JavaScriptAlpine.jsGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsFacebook SDKHotjarLinkedIn Insight TagCurator.ioMicrosoft Clarity

7 urgent findings need attention

7 high

Continuous monitoring

Keep durham.ac.uk 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

6 findings

45/100

GDPR Compliance

2 findings

83/100

NIS2 Compliance

9 findings

2/100

Email Security

5 findings

70/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

Durham University operates in the education sector, targeting students, researchers, and academic partners globally. Its business model centers on delivering academic programs and research services. The university maintains a strong brand with consistent messaging and trust indicators such as verified social media presence and a professionally designed website. The use of multiple analytics and marketing tools suggests a mature digital marketing strategy. The absence of explicit privacy and security policies may be an area for improvement to align with regulatory expectations and enhance stakeholder trust.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a good security posture with HTTPS enforced and secure form handling. However, the lack of explicit security headers like Content-Security-Policy and absence of a published security policy or incident response contact reduces the overall security maturity. The extensive use of third-party tracking and analytics tools increases the attack surface and privacy risks. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the analyzed content. To enhance security, the university should implement comprehensive security headers, publish a vulnerability disclosure policy, and provide clear incident response contacts.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a comprehensive privacy policy and cookie consent mechanism to improve GDPR compliance.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Durham University

Description:

Durham University is a higher education institution offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and international study programs, with a focus on research, student support, and global partnerships.

Key Services:
Undergraduate StudyPostgraduate StudyInternational StudyResearch and Business SupportStudent Support and WellbeingGlobal Partnerships
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
HTML5CSS3JavaScriptAlpine.jsGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsFacebook SDKHotjarLinkedIn Insight TagCurator.ioMicrosoft Clarity
Frameworks:
Alpine.js
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

excellent

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • Use of HTTPS
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Secure forms with autocomplete off
  • Use of nonce attributes on scripts

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsMicrosoft ClarityHotjarLinkedIn Insight TagFacebook Pixel
Tracking Level:extensive
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
Twitter Ads
Tracking Pixels:
Facebook PixelLinkedIn Insight TagHotjarMicrosoft Clarity
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 professionally designed and well-structured.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

45/100
Score

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

83/100
Score

No Data Protection Officer mentioned

LOW

Large organizations may need to designate a DPO under GDPR

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
phone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

2/100
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

Critical sector without clear security compliance

HIGH

Detected sectors: energy, transport, banking, health, digital

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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

DMARC not enforcing

MEDIUM

DMARC policy is set to "none"

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:spf.durham.ac.uk include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:amazonses.com include:customers.clickdimensions.com include:spf.topdesk.net include:mh.blackboard.com ip4:160.34.64.16/28 ~all
DNS Lookups:6/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:selector1(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:s1(1440-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:none
Aggregate Reports:dmarc_agg@vali.email

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

77/100
Score

Weak Protocols Supported

HIGH

Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

OCSP Stapling Not Enabled

LOW

OCSP stapling improves performance and privacy

Certificate Transparency Not Implemented

LOW

Certificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Protocol Support

TLSv1.3TLSv1.2TLSv1.1

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

65/100
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 Transfer Lock Not Enabled

MEDIUM

Domain can be transferred without authorization

Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled

LOW

Domain can be deleted without additional verification

DMARC Policy Set to None

LOW

DMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
28 years(mature)
Protection Level
none
Suspicious Indicators Detected
  • No domain protection locks enabled

DNS Records

A Records:75.2.69.134, 99.83.253.255
Name Servers:
infoblox1.dur.ac.ukDNS only
infoblox2.dur.ac.ukDNS only
ns1.ja.netDNS only
MX Records:
10: durham-ac-uk.mail.protection.outlook.com
SOA:Serial: 2007109913, TTL: 600s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:107ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:spf.durham.ac.uk include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:amazonses.com include:customers.clickdimensions.com include:spf.topdesk.net include:mh.blackboard.com ip4:160.34.64.16/28 ~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 durham.ac.uk compare?

See how durham.ac.uk 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 technology stack with Terminalfour CMS, Alpine.js for interactivity, and integrates multiple analytics and marketing tools including Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, Hotjar, Facebook Pixel, and LinkedIn Insight Tag. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible, with good SEO practices evident in meta tags and structured navigation. Performance is moderate, with asynchronous loading of scripts to improve speed. The use of nonce attributes on scripts indicates attention to security best practices. Hosting provider details are not explicitly identified. Overall, the technical infrastructure supports a robust and user-friendly digital presence but could benefit from enhanced security header implementation and privacy controls.
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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

Domaindurham.ac.uk
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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