Is msu.edu Safe? Security Analysis for Michigan State University
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AI Summary
Michigan State University is a large, well-established public research university in the United States, offering a broad range of academic programs and research initiatives. The website serves multiple audiences including prospective and current students, alumni, faculty, and the general public. It provides comprehensive information about admissions, academics, research, campus life, and community engagement. The institution holds a strong market position as a top 30 public university with recognized sustainability efforts. Technically, the website is built on a modern stack including Sitecore CMS, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and other marketing and analytics tools. It is well optimized for mobile devices and accessibility, with a professional design and clear navigation. The site uses HTTPS and employs security best practices such as reCAPTCHA Enterprise, though some security headers could be enhanced. From a security perspective, the site shows a mature posture with no obvious vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. Privacy compliance is good with a comprehensive privacy policy, though cookie consent mechanisms could be improved. WHOIS data confirms the domain's legitimacy and consistency with the university's identity. Overall, the site is trustworthy, professional, and secure, supporting the university's brand and mission effectively.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Michigan State University operates as a public educational institution with a business model centered on providing higher education and conducting research. Its competitive advantages include a large program offering, strong research funding, and a broad geographic and demographic reach. The university leverages partnerships with various educational and research entities, as evidenced by linked domains and external references. Revenue streams likely include tuition, government funding, research grants, and donations. The website reflects a mature digital presence with extensive content and engagement tools, indicating a strategic approach to recruitment and community relations.
Extracted Contact Information
Marketing Intelligence Data
Phone Numbers (1)
Physical Addresses (1)
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The website demonstrates a solid security posture with enforced HTTPS, use of reCAPTCHA Enterprise, and reputable third-party analytics and marketing scripts. However, explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options are not clearly present in the HTML content, which could be improved to mitigate risks like clickjacking and content injection. No vulnerability disclosures or incident response contacts are found, which is a gap in transparency and readiness. The absence of a security.txt file or similar indicates an opportunity to enhance security communication. Overall, the site is secure but could benefit from additional security hardening and clearer incident response information.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Implement and enforce Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options HTTP headers to strengthen security.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a large public research university offering more than 400 areas of study across 17 colleges, with extensive programs in academics, research, campus life, and community engagement.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
excellent
excellent
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Use of reCAPTCHA Enterprise
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Use of security and analytics scripts from reputable sources
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website is a well-established educational institution site with comprehensive content.
🛡️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
👤GDPR Compliance
Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.
GDPR Compliance
Privacy and data protection assessment
No Cookie Policy found
HIGHGDPR requires clear information about cookie usage
No Cookie Consent Banner found
HIGHGDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies
No Data Protection Officer mentioned
LOWLarge organizations may need to designate a DPO under GDPR
Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant
MEDIUMPrivacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements
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
Critical sector without clear security compliance
HIGHDetected sectors: transport, banking, health, digital
📧Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation
DMARC not enforcing
MEDIUMDMARC policy is set to "none"
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
Certificate Transparency Not Implemented
LOWCertificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs
Short HSTS Max-Age
LOWHSTS max-age is less than 1 year
HSTS Missing includeSubDomains
LOWHSTS header does not include subdomains
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM14 resources loaded over insecure HTTP
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
DMARC Policy Set to None
LOWDMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy
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