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Is marinespecies.org a Scam? Security Check Results - Flanders Marine Institute

marinespecies.org Security Report Summary

marinespecies.org received a security score of 64 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Moderate Risk". This report covers Flanders Marine Institute's website security posture. Flanders Marine Institute operates in the Other industry in Belgium.

The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a reputable scientific database providing authoritative classification and cataloguing of marine species names. Hosted and developed by the Flanders Marine Institute in Belgium, the platform serves marine biologists, researchers, and environmental organizations worldwide. It offers extensive taxonomic data, webservices, and collaborative scientific tools, positioning itself as a leading global resource in marine biodiversity data. Technically, the website employs a custom-built infrastructure with modern JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and Bootstrap for responsive design. The hosting by a recognized scientific institute ensures stable and secure infrastructure, with HTTPS enforced and no evident security challenges or WAF blocks. The site demonstrates good mobile optimization and accessibility, though some improvements in security headers and cookie consent mechanisms are recommended. From a security perspective, the site maintains a solid posture with SSL encryption and secure form handling. However, the absence of DNSSEC and explicit security policies or incident response contacts indicates room for enhancement. Privacy compliance is basic, with a privacy policy present but lacking explicit GDPR consent mechanisms. No vulnerabilities or malicious content were detected. Overall, WoRMS presents a trustworthy, professional, and content-rich platform with a strong business credibility score. Strategic improvements in security policies, cookie consent, and DNS security would further strengthen its compliance and security posture.

The security scan identified 33 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: JavaScript, jQuery, Select2, Bootstrap CSS, Custom CSS and JS, PHP backend (implied by .php URLs).

About this security scan

Guard performs automated security assessments of websites by analyzing SSL/TLS certificates, HTTP security headers, DNS configuration, email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), GDPR compliance indicators, NIS2 directive compliance, network exposure, and AI-powered business intelligence. Each report provides domain-specific findings, risk scores, and actionable recommendations.

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Is marinespecies.org Safe? Security Analysis for Flanders Marine Institute

https://marinespecies.org

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

OtherBelgiummedium
JavaScriptjQuerySelect2Bootstrap CSSCustom CSS and JS+1 more
Analyzed 10/28/2025Completed 12:25:30 PM4mo ago
64
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domainmarinespecies.org
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SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

AI Summary

The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a reputable scientific database providing authoritative classification and cataloguing of marine species names. Hosted and developed by the Flanders Marine Institute in Belgium, the platform serves marine biologists, researchers, and environmental organizations worldwide. It offers extensive taxonomic data, webservices, and collaborative scientific tools, positioning itself as a leading global resource in marine biodiversity data. Technically, the website employs a custom-built infrastructure with modern JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and Bootstrap for responsive design. The hosting by a recognized scientific institute ensures stable and secure infrastructure, with HTTPS enforced and no evident security challenges or WAF blocks. The site demonstrates good mobile optimization and accessibility, though some improvements in security headers and cookie consent mechanisms are recommended. From a security perspective, the site maintains a solid posture with SSL encryption and secure form handling. However, the absence of DNSSEC and explicit security policies or incident response contacts indicates room for enhancement. Privacy compliance is basic, with a privacy policy present but lacking explicit GDPR consent mechanisms. No vulnerabilities or malicious content were detected. Overall, WoRMS presents a trustworthy, professional, and content-rich platform with a strong business credibility score. Strategic improvements in security policies, cookie consent, and DNS security would further strengthen its compliance and security posture.

Detected Technologies

JavaScriptjQuerySelect2Bootstrap CSSCustom CSS and JSPHP backend (implied by .php URLs)

9 urgent findings need attention

9 high

  • + 1 more findings in the full report below
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Security drift alerts

Risk score drops, new high-severity issues, and header hardening gaps

Compliance watch

GDPR / NIS2 posture changes with governance evidence snapshots

Infrastructure surface

Unexpected open services, SSL expiry, DNS & email authentication changes

Content & tracker intelligence

Marketing tech shifts, analytics drift, and AI recommendation updates

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Security Headers

7 findings

30/100

GDPR Compliance

2 findings

73/100

NIS2 Compliance

8 findings

17/100

Email Security

6 findings

70/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

WoRMS operates as a non-profit scientific data infrastructure focused on marine species taxonomy. Its market position is strong as a global authoritative source, supported by a medium-sized organization (Flanders Marine Institute) with a long domain history since 2006. The business model centers on providing open-access taxonomic data and webservices to academic and governmental users. Partnerships with LifeWatch Belgium and other scientific entities enhance its ecosystem. The platform's growth is indicated by continuous updates, a large editor base, and institutional users. Revenue streams are likely grant and institutional funding rather than commercial sales. The website's professional content and scientific collaborations reinforce its credibility and market relevance.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and no WAF or blocking detected. Security best practices include secure form submissions and no exposed sensitive data. However, the lack of DNSSEC and missing security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options are notable gaps. No incident response or vulnerability disclosure policies are publicly available, which could hinder rapid response to security events. Privacy compliance is partial, with no cookie consent mechanism detected. Overall, the security posture is good but could benefit from formalized policies and enhanced DNS and header security.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Enable DNSSEC on the domain to protect against DNS spoofing and improve DNS security.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Flanders Marine Institute

Description:

WoRMS provides an authoritative classification and catalogue of marine species names, continuously updated to reflect current scientific knowledge without making new taxonomic decisions.

Key Services:
Marine species taxonomy databaseTaxonomic backbone servicesWebservices and APIs for species dataPhotogallery and documentationCollaborations with scientific projects like LifeWatch
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
JavaScriptjQuerySelect2Bootstrap CSSCustom CSS and JSPHP backend (implied by .php URLs)
Frameworks:
Bootstrap
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
75/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • No DNSSEC (not enabled)
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Secure forms with POST method

Analytics & Tracking

Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Transparency Level:poor

Website Quality Assessment

Design Quality:good
User Experience:good
Content Relevance:excellent
Navigation Clarity:good
Professionalism:good
Trustworthiness:high

Key Observations

1

Website is a well-established scientific resource for marine species taxonomy.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

30/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

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 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 Policy85% 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

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📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

70/100
Score

No DMARC reporting

LOW

DMARC aggregate reports not configured

Weak DKIM Key

HIGH

DKIM selector 'mail' uses 816-bit key

Strict DMARC Alignment

LOW

Strict alignment may cause legitimate emails to fail

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 a:kms.vliz.be -all
DNS Lookups:1/10
Policy:-all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:mail(816-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:quarantine

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

62/100
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 33 days

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

75/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

Domain Transfer Lock Not Enabled

MEDIUM

Domain can be transferred without authorization

Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled

LOW

Domain can be deleted without additional verification

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
19 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
low(162 days)
Protection Level
noneDNSSEC OFF
Suspicious Indicators Detected
  • No domain protection locks enabled

DNS Records

A Records:193.191.134.34
Name Servers:
ns.vliz.be
ns1.belnet.be
ns2.belnet.be
ns3.belnet.be
MX Records:
10: mx1-eu1.ppe-hosted.com
20: mx2-eu1.ppe-hosted.com
SOA:Serial: 2024091301, TTL: 3600s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:50ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 a:kms.vliz.be -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

How does marinespecies.org compare?

See how marinespecies.org stacks up against similar websites in the same industry.

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website uses a custom CMS with JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and Bootstrap for UI components and responsiveness. The infrastructure is hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute, indicating a stable and scientific-grade hosting environment. Performance is moderate with room for optimization. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible at a basic level. SEO is supported by proper meta tags and structured navigation. There is no evidence of heavy third-party tracking or advertising, which aligns with the scientific and non-commercial nature of the site. Technical debt appears low, but improvements in security headers and cookie management are recommended to modernize the platform.
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Marketing Intelligence

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49.90 €one-time • Incl. 21% VAT

Plan Comparison

FeaturePDF ReportMarketing+
Full security analysis
Professional PDF export
Email delivery
Lifetime access + unlock code
Contact emails & phones
Marketing outreach data

Already purchased?

Order summary

Domainmarinespecies.org
Access tierFull report or marketing add-on

Digital reports are delivered immediately after payment. By continuing you acknowledge the withdrawal waiver described in our Returns & Refunds policy.

VisaMastercardApple PayGoogle Pay

Secure payments processed via EveryPay. Prices in EUR; Incl. 21% VAT.

SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

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