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Is fsf.org a Scam? Security Check Results - Free Software Foundation, Inc.

fsf.org Security Report Summary

fsf.org received a security score of 63 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Moderate Risk". This report covers Free Software Foundation, Inc.'s website security posture. Free Software Foundation, Inc. operates in the Other industry in United States.

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a well-established nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting software freedom worldwide. Their website clearly communicates their mission, advocacy campaigns, and community initiatives, positioning them as a leading authority in the free software movement. The organization offers key services including licensing support, community events, and maintenance of the Free Software Directory. Technically, the website is built on the Plone CMS platform using Python and related open source technologies, delivering a responsive and accessible user experience with moderate performance. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enabled and secure form handling, though improvements could be made by adding security headers and publishing a formal security policy. Privacy compliance is good, with a comprehensive privacy policy present, but lacks a cookie consent mechanism. The absence of WHOIS data limits domain registration trust analysis; however, the organization's long history and transparent web presence strongly support legitimacy. Overall, the FSF website is professional, trustworthy, and well-aligned with its nonprofit advocacy mission.

The security scan identified 29 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: Plone, Zope, Python, CiviCRM, HTML5, YUI 3.18.1.

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.

F

Is fsf.org Safe? Security Analysis for Free Software Foundation, Inc.

https://fsf.org

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

OtherUnited Statesmedium
PloneZopePythonCiviCRMHTML5+1 more
Analyzed 10/8/2025Completed 8:32:57 PM6mo ago
63
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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AI Summary

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a well-established nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting software freedom worldwide. Their website clearly communicates their mission, advocacy campaigns, and community initiatives, positioning them as a leading authority in the free software movement. The organization offers key services including licensing support, community events, and maintenance of the Free Software Directory. Technically, the website is built on the Plone CMS platform using Python and related open source technologies, delivering a responsive and accessible user experience with moderate performance. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enabled and secure form handling, though improvements could be made by adding security headers and publishing a formal security policy. Privacy compliance is good, with a comprehensive privacy policy present, but lacks a cookie consent mechanism. The absence of WHOIS data limits domain registration trust analysis; however, the organization's long history and transparent web presence strongly support legitimacy. Overall, the FSF website is professional, trustworthy, and well-aligned with its nonprofit advocacy mission.

Detected Technologies

PloneZopePythonCiviCRMHTML5YUI 3.18.1

10 urgent findings need attention

10 high

  • + 2 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

6 findings

35/100

GDPR Compliance

4 findings

53/100

NIS2 Compliance

8 findings

17/100

Email Security

5 findings

60/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

FSF operates in the nonprofit sector focused on technology advocacy, specifically free software. Their market position is strong due to their historical significance and global reach. The business model relies on memberships, donations, and community engagement rather than commercial sales. Their target audience includes software users, developers, activists, and supporters of digital freedom. Partnerships with related campaigns and projects like Defective by Design and the GNU Project enhance their ecosystem. The website content and structure reflect a mature organization with consistent branding and clear communication of values and services.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a good security baseline with HTTPS and secure form submissions. However, the lack of security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and absence of published security policies or incident response contacts indicate room for improvement. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the HTML content. The minimal use of tracking and privacy-conscious analytics (Matomo) align with the organization's values. The missing cookie consent mechanism is a minor compliance gap given GDPR relevance. Overall, the security posture is solid but could be enhanced by adopting additional best practices and transparency measures.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to strengthen browser security.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Description:

The FSF is a nonprofit with a worldwide mission to promote computer user freedom. It advocates for free software ideals, promotes free software distributions, drives development of the GNU operating system, and provides resources like the Free Software Directory and licensing tools.

Key Services:
Free software advocacy and campaignsLicensing and compliance supportCommunity events and activismFree Software Directory maintenanceMembership and fundraising
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
PloneZopePythonCiviCRMHTML5YUI 3.18.1
Frameworks:
Plone
Platforms:
Web
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enabled
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Secure form submission via HTTPS

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Matomo
Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Tracking Pixels:
Matomo
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

Website is fully accessible with rich content and clear navigation.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

35/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

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

53/100
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

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 Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

17/100
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

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📧Email Security

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

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

60/100
Score

DMARC not enforcing

MEDIUM

DMARC policy is set to "none"

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 redirect=gnu.org
DNS Lookups:0/10
DMARC Details
Policy:none
Aggregate Reports:dmarc-rua@fsf.org

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

75/100
Score

SSL Certificate Expires Soon

HIGH

SSL certificate expires in 11 days

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

2 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Certificate Details

Subject:*.fsf.org
Issuer:R11
Valid Until:10/20/2025 (11 days)
SANs:*.fsf.org, *.member.fsf.org, *.members.fsf.org +2 more

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

DMARC Policy Set to None

LOW

DMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy

DNS Records

A Records:209.51.188.174
AAAA Records:2001:470:142:4::a
Name Servers:
ns1.gnu.orgDNS only
ns2.gnu.orgDNS only
ns4.gnu.orgDNS only
MX Records:
10: mail.fsf.org
SOA:Serial: 2941144467, TTL: 3600s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:179ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 redirect=gnu.org

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 fsf.org compare?

See how fsf.org 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 uses a mature open source technology stack centered on Plone CMS, Zope application server, and Python. The front-end includes YUI 3.18.1 and Roboto fonts, with responsive CSS grids for layout. The site is mobile optimized and accessible with clear navigation and semantic HTML. Performance is moderate, likely due to the CMS and content volume. Analytics are handled via Matomo, reflecting privacy-conscious data collection. No major technical debt or outdated libraries were detected, but adding modern security headers and cookie consent would enhance compliance and security posture.
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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

Domainfsf.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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