Is macmillan.com Safe? Security Analysis for Macmillan Publishers
Check if macmillan.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
Macmillan.com represents a major global publishing and education company with a strong market position as part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. The website serves as a portal linking to its three main business units: Macmillan Publishers, Macmillan Learning, and Macmillan Education, each targeting readers, educators, and institutions worldwide. The business model focuses on publishing a wide range of literary genres and providing educational content and tools to improve learning outcomes. Technically, the website employs modern web technologies such as Bootstrap 5 and Popper.js, hosted on AWS infrastructure as indicated by DNS servers. The site is mobile optimized with good design and navigation, though it lacks advanced SEO and accessibility features. No analytics or tracking scripts were detected in the provided HTML, indicating minimal user tracking. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS (implied by external CDN links with integrity attributes), but lacks visible security headers and DNSSEC is not enabled. No privacy or cookie policies are present, and no contact or incident response information is provided, which limits compliance with GDPR and best security practices. The domain WHOIS data is consistent with a legitimate, long-established business, enhancing trustworthiness. Overall, the website is professional and safe, but improvements in privacy compliance, security headers, and transparency of contact information are recommended to strengthen security posture and user trust.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Macmillan operates as a large, important entity in the Education and Media sectors, leveraging its legacy and global reach. Its competitive advantage lies in its diverse publishing imprints and comprehensive educational offerings. The business model combines traditional publishing with digital learning solutions, targeting a broad audience from general readers to academic institutions. The company benefits from being part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, which provides financial stability and strategic support. Growth indicators include a global footprint and diversified subsidiaries. The partnership ecosystem includes multiple branded domains for specialized services, reflecting a segmented but cohesive brand strategy.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The current security maturity level is moderate. The website uses HTTPS and reputable DNS hosting but lacks DNSSEC and critical security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and Strict-Transport-Security. No forms or user input fields reduce attack surface, but absence of privacy and cookie policies indicates compliance gaps with GDPR. Incident response readiness is not evident due to missing contact channels for security issues. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the provided content. The security culture appears basic, with room for improvement in transparency and technical controls.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Enable DNSSEC on the domain to protect against DNS spoofing and improve domain security.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers is a leading publishing company and home to some of the world’s most cherished authors and creators. Macmillan Learning improves lives through learning by providing tailored, interactive course solutions. Macmillan Education supports students, instructors and institutions worldwide with language learning, curriculum publishing, higher education and training.
good
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
good
basic
basic
Security Assessment
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is accessible with full content and no blocking mechanisms.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Missing Strict-Transport-Security header
HIGHForces HTTPS connections
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
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
Complex SPF record
LOWToo many include statements can cause lookup limits
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
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM3 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
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