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Is noirlab.edu a Scam? Security Check Results - NSF NOIRLab (U.S. National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory)

noirlab.edu Security Report Summary

noirlab.edu received a security score of 66 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Moderate Risk". This report covers NSF NOIRLab (U.S. National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory)'s website security posture. NSF NOIRLab (U.S. National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory) operates in the Education industry in United States.

NSF NOIRLab is a U.S. government-funded national center dedicated to ground-based nighttime optical and infrared astronomy. Operated by AURA under a cooperative agreement with the NSF, it provides world-class astronomical research facilities, public education, and scientific data services. The website reflects a mature, well-established organization with a strong focus on scientific outreach and community engagement. Technically, the site uses modern web technologies including Bootstrap and Matomo analytics, and is well-structured for accessibility and SEO. Security posture is good with HTTPS enforced and no exposed sensitive data, though improvements can be made by adding security headers and formal security policies. Privacy compliance is partial, with a privacy policy present but no cookie consent mechanism despite analytics usage. Overall, the domain registration and website content are consistent and legitimate, supporting a high trust level.

The security scan identified 28 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: Matomo Analytics, jQuery, Bootstrap 3.3, FontAwesome, Google Fonts, Typekit Fonts.

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 noirlab.edu Safe? Security Analysis for NSF NOIRLab (U.S. National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory)

https://noirlab.edu

Check if noirlab.edu is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

EducationUnited Stateslarge
Matomo AnalyticsjQueryBootstrap 3.3FontAwesomeGoogle Fonts+1 more
Analyzed 9/5/2025Completed 9:59:07 AM6mo ago
66
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Above Education avg (55)

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domainnoirlab.edu
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

AI Summary

NSF NOIRLab is a U.S. government-funded national center dedicated to ground-based nighttime optical and infrared astronomy. Operated by AURA under a cooperative agreement with the NSF, it provides world-class astronomical research facilities, public education, and scientific data services. The website reflects a mature, well-established organization with a strong focus on scientific outreach and community engagement. Technically, the site uses modern web technologies including Bootstrap and Matomo analytics, and is well-structured for accessibility and SEO. Security posture is good with HTTPS enforced and no exposed sensitive data, though improvements can be made by adding security headers and formal security policies. Privacy compliance is partial, with a privacy policy present but no cookie consent mechanism despite analytics usage. Overall, the domain registration and website content are consistent and legitimate, supporting a high trust level.

Detected Technologies

Matomo AnalyticsjQueryBootstrap 3.3FontAwesomeGoogle FontsTypekit Fonts

11 urgent findings need attention

11 high

  • + 3 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

25/100

GDPR Compliance

4 findings

53/100

NIS2 Compliance

9 findings

2/100

Email Security

1 finding

98/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

The organization holds a leading position in U.S. optical and infrared astronomy, supported by NSF funding and operated by AURA. Its business model is non-commercial, focusing on research, education, and public outreach. The website targets multiple audiences including the general public, scientists, and internal users. The extensive content, social media presence, and detailed program descriptions indicate a robust partnership ecosystem and a commitment to transparency and community engagement. Growth indicators include active news, announcements, and educational programs. The partnership with NSF and AURA strengthens its credibility and operational stability.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a good security baseline with HTTPS and disabling cookies in analytics to enhance privacy. However, the absence of security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and lack of published security or incident response policies represent gaps in security maturity. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the HTML content. The site would benefit from formalizing its security posture with published policies and implementing additional HTTP security headers to mitigate risks. Incident response readiness is not publicly documented, which could impact trust in case of security incidents.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement HTTP security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, and Strict-Transport-Security.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

NSF NOIRLab (U.S. National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory)

Description:

NSF NOIRLab is the U.S. national center for ground-based, nighttime optical astronomy, operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).

Key Services:
Astronomical research facilities and programsPublic education and outreachScientific data archives and community science support
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
Matomo AnalyticsjQueryBootstrap 3.3FontAwesomeGoogle FontsTypekit Fonts
Frameworks:
Bootstrap
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS usage
  • Disabling cookies in Matomo analytics
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Matomo
Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Tracking Pixels:
Matomo
Marketing Tools:
Matomo Analytics
Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Website is professionally designed with comprehensive content about astronomy research and public outreach.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

25/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

Missing Content-Security-Policy header

HIGH

Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Weak Referrer-Policy configuration

LOW

Current value: "same-origin"

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

53/100
Score

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

No Cookie Consent Banner found

HIGH

GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

No Data Protection Officer mentioned

LOW

Large organizations may need to designate a DPO under GDPR

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
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

2/100
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

Critical sector without clear security compliance

HIGH

Detected sectors: energy, transport, banking, digital

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📧Email Security

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

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

98/100
Score

No BIMI Record

LOW

BIMI displays brand logos in email clients

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 include:_spf.noirlab_edu._d.easydmarc.pro ~all
DNS Lookups:1/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:google(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:k2(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:s1(1440-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:quarantine
Aggregate Reports:1e78652ad9@rua.easydmarc.us
Forensic Reports:1e78652ad9@ruf.easydmarc.us
MTA-STS Details
Mode:testing
Max Age:364 days

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

77/100
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

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

85/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

Domain Registration Details

Expiry Risk
low(127 days)

DNS Records

A Records:54.186.213.22, 34.211.101.162, 34.223.185.44
Name Servers:
ns-1513.awsdns-61.orgDNS only
ns-1803.awsdns-33.co.ukDNS only
ns-385.awsdns-48.comDNS only
ns-966.awsdns-56.netDNS only
MX Records:
10: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
1: aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
10: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
SOA:Serial: 1, TTL: 86400s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:106ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:_spf.noirlab_edu._d.easydmarc.pro ~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 noirlab.edu compare?

See how noirlab.edu 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 modern and stable technology stack including Bootstrap 3.3 for responsive design, Google Fonts and Typekit for typography, and Matomo for privacy-conscious analytics. The site is well-structured with semantic HTML and accessibility features such as skip links. Performance is moderate, with no major issues detected. The CMS or backend platform is not explicitly identified, suggesting a custom or institutional solution. Hosting appears to be managed internally or by a trusted provider, with no third-party CDN or cloud services detected. Opportunities exist to modernize the tech stack by upgrading Bootstrap and optimizing asset delivery for faster load times.
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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

Domainnoirlab.edu
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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