Is osc.gov Safe? Security Analysis for U.S. Office of Special Counsel
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AI Summary
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is a federal government agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers and enforcing federal personnel laws such as the Hatch Act and USERRA. The agency provides services including complaint filing, investigations, outreach, training, and alternative dispute resolution. The website serves as an official portal for information, resources, and filing complaints related to prohibited personnel practices and wrongdoing disclosures. It targets federal employees, whistleblowers, and government stakeholders. Technically, the website is built on Microsoft SharePoint, leveraging modern web technologies including jQuery and FontAwesome, with embedded YouTube videos and integration with government analytics platforms. The site is well-structured, mobile-optimized, and accessible, reflecting a mature digital infrastructure consistent with government standards. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS, uses a .gov domain with transfer protection, and avoids exposing sensitive data. However, it lacks DNSSEC and does not publish explicit security or incident response policies. Privacy compliance is basic, with no cookie consent mechanism detected. Analytics usage is moderate and transparent, consistent with government norms. Overall, the OSC website is a trustworthy and professional government resource with good content quality and technical implementation. Strategic improvements include enabling DNSSEC, publishing security and incident response policies, and implementing cookie consent to enhance privacy compliance and user trust.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
OSC holds a strong market position as an authoritative federal agency focused on whistleblower protection and personnel law enforcement. Its business model is regulatory and service-oriented, providing oversight and support to federal employees and agencies. The agency's key services include investigations, complaint handling, training, and outreach. The website reflects a medium-sized government entity with consistent branding and clear communication. The presence of official social media channels and embedded multimedia content supports engagement and transparency. No commercial or revenue-generating activities are evident, consistent with its government mandate.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
The security posture of the OSC website is solid with mandatory HTTPS, domain transfer protection, and no visible vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. The use of a .gov domain and official branding enhances trust. However, the absence of DNSSEC and lack of published security policies or incident response contacts represent gaps in transparency and best practices. No vulnerability disclosure or security.txt files were found, limiting external reporting channels. Analytics and tracking are implemented responsibly with government-approved tools. Overall, the site demonstrates a mature security stance appropriate for a government agency but could improve in policy transparency and DNS security.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Enable DNSSEC on the domain to strengthen DNS security and prevent spoofing.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
U.S. Office of Special Counsel
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is a federal government agency focused on protecting whistleblowers, enforcing prohibited personnel practices, and ensuring compliance with laws such as the Hatch Act and USERRA. It provides services including complaint filing, outreach, training, and alternative dispute resolution.
good
consistent
Technical Stack
moderate
good
good
good
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Domain status serverTransferProhibited
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Use of official .gov domain
- No vulnerable libraries detected in 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 Strict-Transport-Security configuration
LOWCurrent value: "max-age=0"
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
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 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
📧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 Protocols Supported
HIGHServer supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1
Certificate Transparency Not Implemented
LOWCertificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs
Mixed Content Detected
MEDIUM1 resources loaded over insecure HTTP
Partial SSL/TLS Assessment
LOWCompleted 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints
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
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