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Is freejournals.org a Scam? Security Check Results - Free Journal Network

freejournals.org Security Report Summary

freejournals.org received a security score of 43 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Elevated Risk". This report covers Free Journal Network's website security posture. Free Journal Network operates in the Non-profit industry in United States.

Free Journal Network (FJN) is a small nonprofit organization based in the United States, founded in 2018, dedicated to promoting scholarly journals that adhere to the Fair Open Access model. The organization supports academic journals by facilitating coordination, funding, quality assurance, promotion, and advocacy for open access publishing without author fees. The website serves as an informational and organizational hub for members and interested parties in the scholarly publishing community. Technically, the website is built on WordPress, hosted by Bluehost, and uses common plugins and scripts such as Contact Form 7 and jQuery. The site is moderately optimized for performance and mobile use, with basic accessibility and SEO features. Security posture is adequate with HTTPS enforced and domain transfer protection, but lacks DNSSEC and security headers, representing areas for improvement. Privacy compliance is weak due to the absence of privacy and cookie policies. Overall, the website is trustworthy and professional but would benefit from enhanced security and privacy practices.

The security scan identified 38 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: WordPress, jQuery, MediaElement.js, Contact Form 7, Jetpack, Custom Twitter Feeds.

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 freejournals.org Safe? Security Analysis for Free Journal Network

https://freejournals.org

Check if freejournals.org is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

Non-profitUnited Statessmall
WordPressjQueryMediaElement.jsContact Form 7Jetpack+1 more
Analyzed 7/10/2025Completed 2:25:05 AM8mo ago
43
Security Score
HIGH RISK

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domainfreejournals.org
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SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

AI Summary

Free Journal Network (FJN) is a small nonprofit organization based in the United States, founded in 2018, dedicated to promoting scholarly journals that adhere to the Fair Open Access model. The organization supports academic journals by facilitating coordination, funding, quality assurance, promotion, and advocacy for open access publishing without author fees. The website serves as an informational and organizational hub for members and interested parties in the scholarly publishing community. Technically, the website is built on WordPress, hosted by Bluehost, and uses common plugins and scripts such as Contact Form 7 and jQuery. The site is moderately optimized for performance and mobile use, with basic accessibility and SEO features. Security posture is adequate with HTTPS enforced and domain transfer protection, but lacks DNSSEC and security headers, representing areas for improvement. Privacy compliance is weak due to the absence of privacy and cookie policies. Overall, the website is trustworthy and professional but would benefit from enhanced security and privacy practices.

Detected Technologies

WordPressjQueryMediaElement.jsContact Form 7JetpackCustom Twitter Feeds

16 urgent findings need attention

2 critical · 14 high

  • + 8 more findings in the full report below
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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

8 findings

15/100

GDPR Compliance

4 findings

35/100

NIS2 Compliance

9 findings

2/100

Email Security

3 findings

85/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

FJN occupies a niche position in the academic publishing ecosystem, focusing on nonprofit, scholar-controlled open access journals. Its business model is membership-based without financial barriers, relying on community governance and funding efforts. The organization complements other discipline-specific open access initiatives and targets academics, journal editors, and researchers interested in fair publishing practices. The website content and structure reflect a clear mission and governance transparency, including bylaws and board information. The lack of direct contact emails or phone numbers on the homepage suggests a preference for controlled communication channels. The partnership with recognized open access organizations enhances credibility. Growth potential lies in expanding membership and funding support for journals adhering to Fair Open Access principles.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a baseline security posture with HTTPS enabled and domain transfer lock status. However, the absence of DNSSEC and security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options reduces its defense-in-depth. No explicit security or incident response policies are published, and no dedicated security contact channels are provided. The use of WordPress and common plugins necessitates regular updates and vulnerability management to mitigate risks. No signs of exposed sensitive data or malicious content were found. Privacy compliance gaps, particularly missing privacy and cookie policies, pose regulatory risks. Overall, the security posture is moderate but requires enhancements to align with best practices and compliance standards.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement and publish a comprehensive privacy policy and cookie policy with GDPR compliance considerations.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Free Journal Network

Description:

FJN is a nonprofit corporation registered in Massachusetts, USA, promoting scholarly journals run according to the Fair Open Access model. It is a membership organization with no financial requirement, run by an elected board of 9 people. The organization helps journals coordinate efforts, obtain funding, update acceptance criteria, promote journals and advocate for scholarly publishing improvements.

Key Services:
Coordination and best practice sharing for member journalsFunding acquisition for journal improvementsUpdating quality acceptance criteriaPromotion of Fair Open Access modelAdvocacy for scholarly publishing improvements
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
WordPressjQueryMediaElement.jsContact Form 7JetpackCustom Twitter Feeds
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

basic

Security Assessment

Security Score:
65/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Domain status clientTransferProhibited

Analytics & Tracking

Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:poor

Advertising & Marketing

Transparency Level:poor

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Website is a nonprofit academic resource promoting Fair Open Access journals.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

15/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

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

35/100
Score

No Privacy Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires a clear and accessible privacy policy

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

Third-party services without privacy policy

HIGH

Detected services: Twitter, Google APIs

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy0% confidence
Cookie Policy0% 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, digital

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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 a mx include:websitewelcome.com ~all
DNS Lookups:3/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:default(1416-bit rsa)

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

62/100
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

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 31 days

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

2 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

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

70/100
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 Delete Lock Not Enabled

LOW

Domain can be deleted without additional verification

No DMARC Record

MEDIUM

DMARC policy not configured

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
7 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
low(expired)
Protection Level
basicDNSSEC OFF

DNS Records

A Records:162.241.225.219
Name Servers:
ns1.bluehost.com
ns2.bluehost.com
MX Records:
0: mail.freejournals.org
SOA:Serial: 2021092500, TTL: 300s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:69ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 a mx include:websitewelcome.com ~all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

0/100
Score

High-Risk Service Exposed: FTP

HIGH

Port 21 (FTP) is publicly accessible - FTP - Often unencrypted file transfer

Service Exposed: SSH

MEDIUM

Port 22 (SSH) is publicly accessible - SSH - Secure but can be brute-forced

Critical Service Exposed: MySQL

CRITICAL

Port 3306 (MySQL) is publicly accessible - MySQL - Database server

Critical Service Exposed: PostgreSQL

CRITICAL

Port 5432 (PostgreSQL) is publicly accessible - PostgreSQL - Database server

How does freejournals.org compare?

freejournals.org scores below average. Browse similar domains to see how competitors handle security.

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on a WordPress CMS platform hosted by Bluehost, utilizing standard web technologies including jQuery and MediaElement.js. The theme used is 'Iconic One' with custom CSS and JavaScript for navigation and Twitter feed integration. Performance is moderate with no major issues detected, and mobile optimization is good. SEO is basic with standard meta tags and RSS feeds but lacks advanced structured data like JSON-LD or Open Graph tags. Accessibility features are minimal but present. The site does not use advanced analytics or tracking tools, indicating a privacy-conscious approach. Technical debt appears low, but security enhancements and privacy compliance updates are recommended to modernize the infrastructure and reduce risk.
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Marketing Intelligence

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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

Domainfreejournals.org
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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