Skip to main content

Is edu.nl a Scam? Security Check Results - SURF B.V. Reviews

edu.nl favicon

Is edu.nl Safe? Security Analysis for SURF B.V.

Check if edu.nl is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

EducationNetherlandssmall
BootstrapFontAwesomejQueryClipboard.js
Analyzed 9/7/2025Completed 9:10:01 AM
60
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

AI Summary

edu.nl is a specialized URL shortening service tailored for the Dutch education and research sector, operated by SURF B.V. The service emphasizes privacy and security by restricting link creation to verified users authenticated via SURFconext. The website content is professionally presented, with clear messaging about privacy and educational focus, and is available in multiple languages. The technical infrastructure leverages modern frontend technologies such as Bootstrap and jQuery, ensuring a responsive and user-friendly experience. No tracking or analytics scripts are present, aligning with the privacy-first approach. Security posture is solid with DNSSEC enabled and controlled access, though visible security headers and explicit security policies are absent. The domain registration is consistent with the business purpose and ownership, indicating high legitimacy.

Detected Technologies

BootstrapFontAwesomejQueryClipboard.js

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

The business operates in a niche market providing a privacy-respecting URL shortening service exclusively for Dutch educational and research institutions. Its competitive advantage lies in the integration with SURFconext for secure authentication and the strong privacy stance by avoiding user tracking. The business model is service-oriented, likely funded or supported by SURF B.V., a known entity in the Dutch education sector. The target audience is clearly defined as verified users from educational and research institutions in the Netherlands. The partnership ecosystem includes SURFconext as a critical authentication provider. Growth potential is tied to the expansion of SURFconext adoption and the increasing demand for privacy-compliant digital tools in education.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a moderate to good security maturity level. Key strengths include DNSSEC implementation, use of SURFconext for secure user authentication, and a strict policy against visitor tracking. However, the absence of explicit security headers, published security policies, and incident response contacts indicates room for improvement. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the provided content. Compliance with GDPR is implied but not explicitly documented on the site. Incident response readiness and security culture indicators are not visible, suggesting these areas could be enhanced to improve trust and resilience.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement and publish a comprehensive security policy and incident response plan accessible on the website.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

SURF B.V.

Description:

edu.nl is a URL shortener service designed specifically for the Dutch education and research sector, emphasizing privacy and security.

Key Services:
URL shortening for education and researchSecure and privacy-friendly link creationAccess control via SURFconext authentication
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
BootstrapFontAwesomejQueryClipboard.js
Frameworks:
Bootstrap
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

basic

Security Assessment

Security Score:
75/100
Best Practices:
  • DNSSEC enabled
  • Use of SURFconext for authentication
  • No tracking or visitor profiling

Analytics & Tracking

Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:excellent

Advertising & Marketing

Transparency Level:excellent

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Website is fully accessible with no blocking or WAF challenges.

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

50/100
Score

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

Missing Content-Security-Policy header

HIGH

Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

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

18/100
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

Insufficient contact information

MEDIUM

GDPR requires organizations to provide clear contact details

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

EU business without adequate privacy measures

CRITICAL

EU businesses are subject to strict GDPR requirements

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy85% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence

🛡️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, digital

📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

70/100
Score

No DKIM record found

MEDIUM

DKIM adds cryptographic signatures to emails

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 -all
DNS Lookups:0/10
Policy:-all
DMARC Details
Policy:reject
Aggregate Reports:di6leuvu@ag.eu.dmarcadvisor.com

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

95/100
Score

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 68 days

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Certificate Details

Subject:edu.nl
Issuer:GEANT OV RSA CA 4
Valid Until:11/14/2025 (68 days)
SANs:edu.nl, new.edu.nl, www.edu.nl

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

60/100
Score

Unregistered MX Record

HIGH

MX record points to unregistered domain:

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

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

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
20 years(mature)
Protection Level
noneDNSSEC ON
Suspicious Indicators Detected
  • No domain protection locks enabled

DNS Records

A Records:145.97.20.10
AAAA Records:2001:610:188:408::10
Name Servers:
ns1.surfnet.nlDNS only
ns1.zurich.surf.netDNS only
ns2.surfnet.nlDNS only
ns3.surfnet.nlDNS only
MX Records:
0:
SOA:Serial: 2025081253, TTL: 86400s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:144ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 -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

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website uses a modern and lightweight frontend technology stack including Bootstrap for responsive design, FontAwesome for icons, jQuery for DOM manipulation, and Clipboard.js for clipboard interactions. The site is mobile-optimized and structured with clear navigation and language options. No CMS or backend technologies are detectable from the HTML content. Performance is likely moderate given the minimal external dependencies and static content. There is no evidence of technical debt or deprecated libraries. Hosting provider details are not disclosed. SEO optimization is basic but adequate for the niche audience. Opportunities exist to improve accessibility and implement advanced security headers to reduce technical risks.
Analyze Another Website