Is goodreads.com Safe? Security Analysis for Goodreads, Inc.
Check if goodreads.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
Goodreads, Inc. operates one of the world's largest online communities for book lovers, providing a platform for book discovery, recommendations, reviews, and social interaction. The website targets readers globally and offers services including personalized book suggestions, author programs, and advertising opportunities. The platform is well-established with a strong market position in the literary and media sector. Technically, Goodreads employs modern web technologies such as React and integrates with major platforms like Amazon and Apple for authentication and hosting. The site demonstrates good performance, mobile optimization, and SEO practices, supported by a robust infrastructure likely hosted on Amazon Web Services. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and uses secure login mechanisms. However, it lacks some advanced security headers and does not publicly disclose a security policy or incident response contacts, which are areas for improvement. Privacy policies are comprehensive and GDPR compliant, though cookie consent mechanisms could be enhanced. Overall, Goodreads presents a trustworthy and professional online presence with high content quality and user experience. The absence of WHOIS data transparency slightly impacts trust but does not detract significantly from the platform's legitimacy. Strategic improvements in security transparency and privacy consent would further strengthen its posture.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Goodreads holds a dominant position in the online book community market, leveraging a large user base for book discovery and social engagement. Its business model includes advertising revenue and services for authors and publishers, creating multiple revenue streams. The platform's integration with Amazon and Apple enhances user convenience and trust. The company targets avid readers and literary enthusiasts, maintaining growth through community features and curated content. Partnerships with major tech companies and a strong social media presence support its ecosystem. The lack of direct contact information on the homepage suggests a focus on digital self-service and automated support channels.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The security posture of Goodreads is solid with mandatory HTTPS and secure authentication options. The presence of CSRF tokens in forms indicates attention to common web vulnerabilities. However, the absence of explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options is a gap that could expose the site to certain attacks. No public security policy or incident response contacts were found, which limits transparency and user confidence in handling security incidents. There is no evidence of exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries in the provided content. Compliance with GDPR is indicated by privacy policy content, but cookie consent mechanisms are minimal. Overall, the site is secure but could improve in security communication and header implementation.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement and publish a comprehensive security policy including incident response contacts.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Goodreads, Inc.
Find and read more books you’ll love, and keep track of the books you want to read. Be part of the world’s largest community of book lovers on Goodreads.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
fast
good
good
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Secure login options via Amazon and Apple
- CSRF tokens present in forms
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is fully accessible with rich content and interactive features.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Weak X-Content-Type-Options configuration
LOWCurrent value: "nosniff, nosniff"
Missing Content-Security-Policy header
HIGHControls resources the browser is allowed to load
Missing Referrer-Policy header
LOWControls referrer information sent with requests
Missing Permissions-Policy header
MEDIUMControls browser features and APIs
Sensitive data may be cached
LOWCache-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
No Cookie Policy found
HIGHGDPR requires clear information about cookie usage
No Cookie Consent Banner found
HIGHGDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies
Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant
MEDIUMPrivacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements
GDPR Compliance Analysis
🛡️NIS2 Compliance
Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.
NIS2 Compliance
Network & Information Security Directive
No information security framework found
HIGHNIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures
No vulnerability disclosure policy
MEDIUMNIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure
No security policy documentation found
HIGHNIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management
No incident response procedures found
HIGHNIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans
No business continuity planning found
MEDIUMNIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity
No security contact information
HIGHNIS2 requires clear incident reporting channels
No vulnerability reporting mechanism
MEDIUMClear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure
No NIS2 reference found
LOWConsider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts
Critical sector without clear security compliance
HIGHDetected sectors: transport, digital
📧Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation
No MTA-STS Policy
MEDIUMMTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery
No TLS-RPT Record
LOWTLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues
SPF Details
DKIM Selectors Found
DMARC Details
🏆SSL/TLS Security
Certificate validity and encryption analysis.
SSL/TLS Security
Certificate validity and encryption analysis
Weak Protocols Supported
HIGHServer supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1
Certificate Transparency Not Implemented
LOWCertificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs
Partial SSL/TLS Assessment
LOWCompleted 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints
Protocol Support
OCSP Status
📊DNS Health
DNS configuration and security assessment.
DNS Health
DNS configuration and security assessment
DNSSEC Not Enabled
MEDIUMDNSSEC is not configured for this domain
CAA Records Not Configured
LOWCertificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found
Domain Registration Details
DNS Records
DNSSEC Status
DNS Performance
SPF Analysis
⚡Network Security
Port scanning and network exposure analysis.
Network Security
Port scanning and network exposure analysis
Good Network Security Posture
LOWNo unnecessary services detected on common risky ports
🔧Technical Analysis
Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.
Technical Analysis
Comprehensive security assessment findings