Is nsf.gov Safe? Security Analysis for National Science Foundation
Check if nsf.gov is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.
AI Summary
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a U.S. federal government agency dedicated to supporting science and engineering research and education nationwide. The website serves as a comprehensive portal for funding opportunities, award management, news, and educational resources targeting researchers, educators, students, and industry stakeholders. The site is professionally designed with clear navigation, mobile optimization, and accessibility compliance, reflecting a mature digital presence. Technically, the site is built on Drupal 10 and leverages modern analytics and tracking tools such as Google Analytics, Crazy Egg, and the Digital Analytics Program. It employs the U.S. Web Design System for consistent government branding and user experience. The site is served over HTTPS with strong SSL configuration, though explicit security headers are not fully confirmed in the provided data. From a security perspective, NSF demonstrates good practices including a published vulnerability disclosure policy and privacy policy, though cookie consent mechanisms could be improved for GDPR compliance. No critical vulnerabilities or suspicious activities were detected. WHOIS data is privacy protected, which is typical for government domains, and the .gov TLD strongly supports legitimacy. Overall, the website is a trustworthy, authoritative source for science funding information with a strong security posture and professional digital infrastructure. Strategic recommendations include enhancing visible security headers, implementing cookie consent, and publishing incident response contacts more explicitly.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
NSF holds a leading position as the primary U.S. government agency funding scientific research and education. Its business model is non-commercial, focused on grant funding and public service. The website targets a broad audience including researchers, educators, students, industry, and policymakers. The agency's extensive network and funding programs position it as a critical enabler of scientific advancement. The digital presence supports transparency, outreach, and engagement with stakeholders. Partnerships with other government and research entities are implied through linked domains and resources. Growth indicators include recent initiatives in AI and quantum research funding. The NSF's operations are consistent with a large, enterprise-level government organization with a focus on innovation, STEM workforce development, and technology acceleration. The website content and structure reflect these priorities clearly.
Extracted Contact Information
Marketing Intelligence Data
Phone Numbers (1)
Physical Addresses (1)
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The NSF website exhibits a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and a published vulnerability disclosure policy. The presence of privacy and research security policies indicates compliance with federal standards. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the analysis. However, explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options were not confirmed and should be verified. The absence of a security.txt file or explicit incident response contact is a minor gap. Analytics scripts are used responsibly with privacy policies in place, though cookie consent mechanisms are lacking. Overall, the site is secure but could improve transparency and technical security headers to enhance defense in depth.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Publish and verify comprehensive security headers including CSP, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
National Science Foundation
NSF is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories by funding research and education proposals.
excellent
consistent
Technical Stack
fast
excellent
excellent
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Vulnerability disclosure policy
- Privacy policy
- Use of security analytics scripts
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Official U.S. government website with .gov domain
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Weak X-Content-Type-Options configuration
LOWCurrent value: "nosniff, nosniff"
Missing Content-Security-Policy header
HIGHControls resources the browser is allowed to load
Missing Referrer-Policy header
LOWControls referrer information sent with requests
Missing Permissions-Policy header
MEDIUMControls browser features and APIs
Sensitive data may be cached
LOWCache-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
No Cookie Policy found
HIGHGDPR requires clear information about cookie usage
No Cookie Consent Banner found
HIGHGDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies
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 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 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
Complex SPF record
LOWToo many include statements can cause lookup limits
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
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
CAA Records Not Configured
LOWCertificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found
Domain Expires Soon
HIGHDomain expires in 18 days
Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled
LOWDomain can be deleted without additional verification
Domain Registration Details
- •Privacy/proxy registration detected
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