Is hochschulkompass.de Safe? Security Analysis for Stiftung zur Förderung der Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)
Check if hochschulkompass.de is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
The Hochschulkompass website is an authoritative and comprehensive platform operated by the Stiftung zur Förderung der Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK), providing up-to-date information on studying and pursuing doctoral degrees in Germany. It serves as a key resource for prospective students and researchers, offering detailed search tools for study programs, universities, and doctoral opportunities. The platform also includes a study interest test and a study place exchange service, enhancing user engagement and support. The website's content is well-structured, professionally presented, and clearly targeted at students and academic audiences in Germany and internationally. Technically, the site is built on TYPO3 CMS with modern frontend technologies such as jQuery and Bootstrap, ensuring a responsive and accessible user experience. The presence of cookie consent mechanisms and a comprehensive privacy policy demonstrates good compliance with GDPR requirements. While the site uses HTTPS and secure login forms, it lacks explicit published security policies and incident response contacts, which could be improved to enhance transparency and trust. Security posture is strong with no visible vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. The WHOIS data aligns with the website's claims, showing consistent domain registration and professional DNS management. External links to partner domains and social media are legitimate and relevant. Overall, the site is trustworthy, well-maintained, and serves its educational mission effectively.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Hochschulkompass holds a strong market position as the official information portal for higher education in Germany, backed by the HRK. Its business model focuses on providing authoritative, updated educational content and services to students and academic stakeholders. The platform's partnerships with other educational and research-related sites expand its ecosystem and user reach. The inclusion of interactive tools like the SIT test and study place exchange indicates a user-centric approach. The site targets a broad audience including prospective students, current students, and academic researchers, positioning itself as a central hub for academic information in Germany.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website demonstrates a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and secure form handling. Cookie consent and privacy policies are comprehensive and GDPR compliant, reflecting strong data protection practices. However, the absence of a publicly available security policy, incident response contacts, or vulnerability disclosure mechanisms represents a gap in transparency and readiness. No security headers were detected in the HTML content, suggesting room for improvement in defense-in-depth strategies. Overall, the site is secure but could benefit from enhanced security communication and policies.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Publish a dedicated security policy page outlining security practices and commitments.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Stiftung zur Förderung der Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)
Informationen über deutsche Hochschulen, Studiengänge, Promotionen. Tagesaktuelle und umfassende Daten direkt von den Hochschulen.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
good
good
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Secure login forms with hidden fields
- Cookie consent with detailed information
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is a comprehensive official information portal for studying and researching in Germany.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Missing X-Frame-Options header
HIGHPrevents clickjacking attacks
Missing Referrer-Policy header
LOWControls referrer information sent with requests
Missing Permissions-Policy header
MEDIUMControls browser features and APIs
👤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 Data Protection Officer mentioned
LOWLarge organizations may need to designate a DPO under GDPR
EU business without adequate privacy measures
CRITICALEU businesses are subject to strict GDPR requirements
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
📧Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation
DMARC not enforcing
MEDIUMDMARC policy is set to "none"
No DKIM record found
MEDIUMDKIM adds cryptographic signatures to emails
No BIMI Record
LOWBIMI displays brand logos in email clients
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
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
OCSP Stapling Not Enabled
LOWOCSP stapling improves performance and privacy
Certificate Transparency Not Implemented
LOWCertificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs
SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days
MEDIUMSSL certificate expires in 37 days
Weak SSL Key Length
HIGHSSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM7 resources loaded over insecure HTTP
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 Transfer Lock Not Enabled
MEDIUMDomain can be transferred without authorization
Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled
LOWDomain can be deleted without additional verification
DMARC Policy Set to None
LOWDMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy
Domain Registration Details
- •No domain protection locks enabled
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