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Is letsencrypt.org a Scam? Security Check Results - Internet Security Research Group Reviews

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Is letsencrypt.org Safe? Security Analysis for Internet Security Research Group

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

TechnologyUnited Stateslarge
Hugo static site generatorCloudflare DNS and registrarFontAwesome iconsPlotly.js for data visualizationJavaScript for UI interactions
Analyzed 9/6/2025Completed 1:28:52 PM
76
Security Score
LOW RISK

AI Summary

Let's Encrypt is a leading nonprofit Certificate Authority operated by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), providing free and automated TLS certificates to over 650 million websites globally. Their mission is to make HTTPS encryption accessible to everyone, enhancing Internet security and privacy. The organization is well-established, founded in 2014, and supported by major technology sponsors such as Google, AWS, Mozilla, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The website reflects a mature digital presence with comprehensive documentation, community support, and transparent nonprofit operations. Technically, the website is built using modern technologies including the Hugo static site generator, Cloudflare DNS and registrar services, and Plotly.js for data visualization. It demonstrates excellent performance, mobile optimization, and accessibility. The site enforces HTTPS and employs domain status protections to prevent unauthorized domain changes. However, DNSSEC is not enabled, representing a minor security enhancement opportunity. From a security perspective, Let's Encrypt maintains a strong posture with no detected vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. The absence of a published security policy or incident response contact is noted, as is the lack of a security.txt file for vulnerability disclosure. Privacy compliance is robust, with a clear privacy policy and GDPR adherence, though no cookie consent mechanism was detected. The business credibility is high, supported by transparent WHOIS data and consistent domain registration details. Overall, Let's Encrypt's website is professional, trustworthy, and aligned with its nonprofit mission. Strategic recommendations include enabling DNSSEC, publishing a security.txt file, and enhancing transparency around security policies and incident response to further strengthen trust and compliance.

Detected Technologies

Hugo static site generatorCloudflare DNS and registrarFontAwesome iconsPlotly.js for data visualizationJavaScript for UI interactions

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

Let's Encrypt occupies a dominant position in the free TLS certificate market, disrupting traditional paid certificate authorities by offering automated and accessible encryption solutions. Their nonprofit model is funded through sponsorships and donations from major technology companies and foundations, ensuring sustainability without commercial pressure. The target audience includes website owners, developers, and organizations seeking to secure their web presence. The extensive partner ecosystem and community engagement foster widespread adoption and trust. Growth indicators such as over 650 million certificates issued and detailed annual reports demonstrate strong market traction and operational transparency.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The security maturity of Let's Encrypt is high, with enforced HTTPS, domain registration protections, and no visible vulnerabilities or sensitive data leaks. The lack of DNSSEC is a minor gap that could be addressed to improve DNS security. The absence of explicit security policy documentation and incident response contacts suggests room for improvement in transparency and readiness. Privacy practices are strong, with GDPR compliance and a comprehensive privacy policy. No tracking or advertising scripts were detected, minimizing privacy risks. Overall, the security posture supports the organization's mission and user trust but could benefit from formalized vulnerability disclosure and incident response mechanisms.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Enable DNSSEC on the domain to enhance DNS security and integrity.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Internet Security Research Group

Description:

Let's Encrypt is a nonprofit Certificate Authority providing free, automated TLS certificates to enable HTTPS encryption for websites worldwide.

Key Services:
Free TLS/SSL certificate issuanceAutomated certificate management via ACME protocolCommunity support and documentation
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
Hugo static site generatorCloudflare DNS and registrarFontAwesome iconsPlotly.js for data visualizationJavaScript for UI interactions
Performance:

fast

Mobile:

excellent

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
90/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Domain status includes clientDeleteProhibited, clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of Cloudflare for DNS and registrar

Analytics & Tracking

Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:excellent

Advertising & Marketing

Transparency Level:excellent

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 no blocking or WAF challenges.

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

95/100
Score

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

58/100
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

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
phone

🛡️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

📧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 include:_spf.google.com ip4:23.178.112.0/24 ip4:66.133.109.36 ip4:64.78.149.164 include:mail.zendesk.com include:_spf.intacct.com -all
DNS Lookups:3/10
Policy:-all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:google(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:k2(1416-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:reject
Aggregate Reports:re+2ea7a1650465@inbound.dmarcdigests.com

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

75/100
Score

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 68 days

Weak SSL Key Length

HIGH

SSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Certificate Details

Subject:letsencrypt.org
Issuer:E6
Valid Until:11/13/2025 (68 days)
SANs:cp-test.letsencrypt.org, cps-test.letsencrypt.org, lencr.org +5 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

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
11 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
none(668 days)
Protection Level
strongDNSSEC OFF

DNS Records

A Records:35.157.26.135, 63.176.8.218
AAAA Records:2a05:d014:58f:6200::259, 2a05:d014:58f:6200::258
Name Servers:
owen.ns.cloudflare.com
vera.ns.cloudflare.com
MX Records:
1: aspmx.l.google.com
10: aspmx2.googlemail.com
5: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
10: aspmx3.googlemail.com
SOA:Serial: 2382407511, TTL: 1800s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:53ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ip4:23.178.112.0/24 ip4:66.133.109.36 ip4:64.78.149.164 include:mail.zendesk.com include:_spf.intacct.com -all

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

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website leverages a modern static site generator (Hugo) combined with Cloudflare's DNS and registrar services, ensuring fast and reliable hosting. The use of Plotly.js enables rich data visualization for transparency on certificate issuance and usage. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and SEO-friendly with proper meta tags and Open Graph data. No legacy or vulnerable libraries were detected. The absence of DNSSEC is a technical gap. Overall, the infrastructure is robust, performant, and well-maintained, supporting the organization's operational needs and user experience.
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