
Is ipfs.io Safe? Security Analysis for IPFS Foundation
Check if ipfs.io is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
The IPFS.io Public Gateway website serves as an informational and access portal for the IPFS decentralized web gateway service. Maintained by Interplanetary Shipyard on behalf of the IPFS Foundation, it provides a free public utility enabling users to access IPFS content seamlessly through traditional web browsers. The site clearly communicates its purpose, acceptable use policies, abuse reporting mechanisms, and technical FAQs, positioning itself as a trusted bridge between HTTP and IPFS protocols. The business model is donation-supported, emphasizing public good and open-source collaboration. Technically, the website is built using the Hugo static site generator and references the Rainbow implementation of the IPFS HTTP Gateway API. The site is performant, mobile-optimized, and SEO-friendly, though it lacks some advanced accessibility features and explicit security headers. The hosting environment likely involves Cloudflare, inferred from HTTP range request limitations. No forms or tracking scripts are present, indicating minimal data collection and user tracking. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and provides a clear abuse reporting email. It verifies content integrity against IPFS CIDs and uses a denylist to block abusive content. However, it lacks a published security policy, vulnerability disclosure program, and cookie consent mechanisms. WHOIS data is privacy-protected, which is reasonable for this type of public infrastructure service. Overall, the security posture is good but could be improved with additional headers and policies. The overall risk assessment is low, with no indications of malicious content or vulnerabilities. Strategic recommendations include publishing privacy and cookie policies, implementing security headers, and establishing a formal vulnerability disclosure process to enhance trust and compliance.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
IPFS.io Public Gateway operates in the technology sector, specifically focusing on decentralized web infrastructure. It holds a niche market position as a free, public gateway service bridging traditional web protocols with IPFS. The business model relies on donations and community support, with maintenance by Interplanetary Shipyard and oversight by the IPFS Foundation. The target audience includes developers, researchers, and general users interested in decentralized content access. The partnership with Interplanetary Shipyard strengthens operational capabilities. The absence of commercial advertising and tracking aligns with its public utility ethos. Growth indicators include active community engagement and ongoing technical updates. The ecosystem includes related domains such as ipfs.tech for the main project and badbits.dwebops.pub for abuse management.
Extracted Contact Information
Marketing Intelligence Data
Email Addresses (3)
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website demonstrates a mature security posture with mandatory HTTPS, content verification against IPFS CIDs, and an abuse reporting mechanism. The use of a denylist to block abusive content shows proactive content moderation. However, the absence of explicit security headers (e.g., CSP, HSTS), lack of a published security policy or vulnerability disclosure program, and missing cookie consent mechanisms indicate areas for improvement. The WHOIS privacy protection is justified and aligns with protecting the infrastructure's operators. Incident response is facilitated via a dedicated abuse email. Overall, the site is secure for its purpose but would benefit from enhanced transparency and formalized security documentation.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Publish a comprehensive privacy policy and cookie policy with GDPR compliance details.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
IPFS Foundation
The IPFS.io Public Gateway is a free public service that acts as a bridge between the traditional HTTP web and the decentralized IPFS protocol, enabling users to access IPFS content through their web browsers without installing software.
good
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
good
basic
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enabled
- Abuse reporting email provided
- Content verification against CID
- Use of denylist for abusive content
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is fully accessible with rich content about IPFS public gateway.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Missing X-Frame-Options header
HIGHPrevents clickjacking attacks
Missing X-Content-Type-Options header
MEDIUMPrevents MIME type sniffing
Missing Content-Security-Policy header
HIGHControls resources the browser is allowed to load
Missing X-XSS-Protection header
MEDIUMLegacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)
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 Privacy Policy found
HIGHGDPR requires a clear and accessible privacy policy
No Cookie Policy found
HIGHGDPR requires clear information about cookie usage
No Cookie Consent Banner found
HIGHGDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies
Third-party services without privacy policy
HIGHDetected services: LinkedIn
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 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 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
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
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 70 days
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
Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled
LOWDomain can be deleted without additional verification
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