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Is manning.com a Scam? Security Check Results - Manning Publications Co. Reviews

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Is manning.com Safe? Security Analysis for Manning Publications Co.

Check if manning.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

TechnologyUnited Statesmedium
jQueryGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsFacebook PixelReddit Pixel+6 more
Analyzed 10/3/2025Completed 6:31:45 PM
68
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

AI Summary

Manning Publications Co. is an established independent publisher specializing in computer books, videos, and courses targeted at software developers, engineers, architects, system administrators, and managers. Founded in 1990, the company has carved a niche in the technology education sector, offering unique services such as the Manning Early Access Program (MEAP) that allows early access to content. The website reflects a professional and consistent brand presence with comprehensive content and clear navigation, supporting a medium-sized business operating primarily in the US. Technically, the website employs a modern technology stack including jQuery, Bootstrap, Google Tag Manager, and multiple analytics and marketing tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, Hotjar, and Microsoft Clarity. The site is mobile-optimized and performs moderately well, with good SEO and accessibility features. Security best practices are observed with HTTPS enforcement and security headers, although there is room for improvement in publishing explicit security policies and incident response information. The security posture is solid with no detected vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. Privacy compliance is well addressed with visible privacy and cookie policies and consent mechanisms. However, the absence of WHOIS data limits domain registration trust analysis, though the overall legitimacy of the business is supported by the professional website and consistent branding. Overall, Manning Publications presents a trustworthy and professional online presence with strong business credibility and a good security and privacy posture. Strategic improvements in transparency around security policies and incident response could further enhance trust and compliance.

Detected Technologies

jQueryGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsFacebook PixelReddit PixelHotjarOneSignalMicrosoft ClarityBootstrap (dropdowns, carousel)FontAwesomeTypekit Fonts

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

Manning Publications holds a strong market position as a specialized independent publisher in the technology education sector. Its competitive advantage lies in its focused content for software professionals and innovative programs like MEAP. The business model centers on direct sales of books, videos, and courses, supplemented by subscription and live content services. The company targets a professional audience in the US and globally, leveraging multiple digital platforms and social media channels for marketing and engagement. Growth indicators include diversified content offerings and active use of analytics and marketing tools. The partnership ecosystem includes related service domains for subscriptions and live content delivery, enhancing customer retention and engagement.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Phone Numbers (1)

+1203626****

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a mature security posture with enforced HTTPS, comprehensive security headers, and use of monitoring tools like Hotjar and Microsoft Clarity. No critical vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected. Privacy policies and cookie consent mechanisms indicate compliance with GDPR and related regulations. However, the absence of a public security policy, incident response contact, and vulnerability disclosure program suggests areas for improvement in transparency and readiness. The extensive use of third-party scripts necessitates ongoing vigilance to mitigate supply chain risks. Overall, the security posture is strong but could benefit from enhanced documentation and incident response preparedness.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a dedicated security policy page outlining security practices and compliance.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Manning Publications Co.

Description:

Manning Publications is an independent publisher specializing in computer books, videos, and projects for software developers, engineers, architects, system administrators, and managers. Founded in 1990, Manning is known for its Manning Early Access Program (MEAP), which allows readers to access books before they are published.

Key Services:
computer booksvideoscoursesManning Early Access Program (MEAP)
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
jQueryGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsFacebook PixelReddit PixelHotjarOneSignalMicrosoft ClarityBootstrap (dropdowns, carousel)FontAwesomeTypekit Fonts
Frameworks:
Bootstrap
Platforms:
Web
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Content Security Policy present
  • Cookie consent mechanism implemented
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of security analytics and monitoring tools

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsMicrosoft ClarityHotjarHubSpot Analytics
Tracking Level:extensive
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
Google Adsense
Tracking Pixels:
Facebook PixelReddit PixelHotjarMicrosoft Clarity
Marketing Tools:
HubSpotQuora Events
Transparency Level:good

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 rich content and navigation

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

45/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Content-Type-Options header

MEDIUM

Prevents MIME type sniffing

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Missing Referrer-Policy header

LOW

Controls referrer information sent with requests

Missing Permissions-Policy header

MEDIUM

Controls browser features and APIs

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

73/100
Score

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

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

65/100
Score

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 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

50/100
Score

Complex SPF record

LOW

Too many include statements can cause lookup limits

DMARC not enforcing

MEDIUM

DMARC policy is set to "none"

No DKIM record found

MEDIUM

DKIM adds cryptographic signatures to emails

DMARC Partial Enforcement

LOW

DMARC only applies to 1% of messages

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 mx ip4:108.168.131.194/32 ip4:52.26.202.191/32 a:stage.manning.com a:ops.manning.com include:_spf.postaffiliatepro.com include:authsmtp.com include:spf.happyfox.com include:_spf.google.com include:48055234.spf04.hubspotemail.net -all
DNS Lookups:8/10
Policy:-all
DMARC Details
Policy:none(1% enforcement)
Aggregate Reports:dmarc@manning.com

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

42/100
Score

Weak Protocols Supported

HIGH

Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

OCSP Stapling Not Enabled

LOW

OCSP stapling improves performance and privacy

Certificate Transparency Not Implemented

LOW

Certificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 62 days

Weak SSL Key Length

HIGH

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

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

3 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Protocol Support

TLSv1.3TLSv1.2TLSv1.1

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

80/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

DMARC Policy Set to None

LOW

DMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
30 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
medium(86 days)
Protection Level
strongDNSSEC OFF

DNS Records

A Records:35.166.24.88
Name Servers:
ns-1041.awsdns-02.org
ns-1607.awsdns-08.co.uk
ns-311.awsdns-38.com
ns-842.awsdns-41.net
MX Records:
10: aspmx.l.google.com
20: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
20: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
30: aspmx2.googlemail.com
30: aspmx3.googlemail.com
SOA:Serial: 1, TTL: 86400s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:40ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 mx ip4:108.168.131.194/32 ip4:52.26.202.191/32 a:stage.manning.com a:ops.manning.com include:_spf.postaffiliatepro.com include:authsmtp.com include:spf.happyfox.com include:_spf.google.com include:48055234.spf04.hubspotemail.net -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 is built on a modern and robust technical infrastructure leveraging popular libraries and frameworks such as jQuery and Bootstrap. It integrates multiple analytics and marketing platforms, including Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, Hotjar, and Microsoft Clarity, enabling comprehensive user behavior tracking and marketing optimization. The site is mobile-optimized with responsive design and good SEO practices. Performance is moderate, with potential for optimization in script loading and caching. No CMS was explicitly detected, suggesting a custom or proprietary platform. Hosting provider details are not disclosed. Technical risks include dependency on multiple third-party scripts which require continuous security monitoring.
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