Is mdpi.com Safe? Security Analysis for MDPI
Check if mdpi.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
MDPI is a well-established open access academic publisher founded in 1996, offering a broad portfolio of peer-reviewed journals and related publishing services. The website demonstrates a high level of professionalism, with comprehensive content targeting researchers, authors, editors, and academic institutions. The technical infrastructure is modern, leveraging advanced JavaScript libraries, consent management platforms, and performance monitoring tools, hosted likely on Akamai CDN for global delivery. Security posture is strong with HTTPS enforced and multiple security headers present, although explicit security policies and incident response details are not publicly available. Privacy compliance is well addressed with visible cookie consent mechanisms and a comprehensive privacy policy. The absence of WHOIS data limits domain registration trust analysis but does not detract from the overall credibility of the site. Strategic recommendations include publishing explicit security and incident response policies, providing vulnerability disclosure information, and enhancing transparency on data protection officer contacts and certifications.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
MDPI holds a leading position in the open access publishing market, serving a global academic audience. Its business model centers on open access publishing with article processing charges and institutional programs. The company operates multiple subsidiary platforms supporting preprints, books, and scientific forums, enhancing its ecosystem. The website content and structure reflect a mature digital presence with clear navigation and extensive search capabilities. Partnerships with related domains indicate a broad publishing network. The company targets researchers, academic institutions, and scholarly societies, positioning itself as a comprehensive publishing service provider. Growth indicators include continuous addition of journals and initiatives. The lack of direct contact emails or phone numbers on the main site suggests a preference for contact via forms or dedicated portals.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website exhibits a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and multiple security headers implemented, reducing common web vulnerabilities. The use of a consent management platform indicates attention to privacy regulations such as GDPR. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the analyzed content. However, the absence of publicly available security policies, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms represents a compliance gap and an area for improvement. The site does not display any signs of WAF blocking or security challenges, indicating stable accessibility. Overall, the security maturity is high but could benefit from enhanced transparency and formal documentation.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response plan accessible from the website.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
MDPI
MDPI is a publisher of peer-reviewed, open access journals since its establishment in 1996.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
fast
good
good
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Security headers present
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Secure forms with POST method
- Consent management platform for cookies
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is a professional academic publisher with extensive journal offerings.
🛡️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
👤GDPR Compliance
Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.
GDPR Compliance
Privacy and data protection assessment
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 vulnerability disclosure policy
MEDIUMNIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure
No incident response procedures found
HIGHNIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans
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
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 SSL Key Length
HIGHSSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM5 resources loaded over insecure HTTP
Partial SSL/TLS Assessment
LOWCompleted 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints
Certificate Details
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