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Is pennlive.com a Scam? Security Check Results - Advance Local Media LLC Reviews

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Is pennlive.com Safe? Security Analysis for Advance Local Media LLC

Check if pennlive.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

MediaUnited Stateslarge
ReactArc Fusion CMSGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsMarfeel SDK+5 more
Analyzed 9/5/2025Completed 12:15:39 PM
69
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

AI Summary

PennLive.com is a regional digital news platform operated by Advance Local Media LLC, focusing on Pennsylvania local news, sports, and weather. It serves a broad audience interested in Central Pennsylvania news with a business model centered on advertising and digital subscriptions. The site is part of a larger network of regional news sites under Advance Local, indicating a strong market position in local media. Technically, the website employs modern web technologies including React and Arc Fusion CMS, supported by a robust analytics and advertising infrastructure. The site is well-optimized for mobile and SEO, with good performance and accessibility standards. Security posture is strong with HTTPS enforcement, bot protection, and security headers, though explicit security policies and incident response contacts are not publicly disclosed. Privacy compliance is well addressed with comprehensive privacy and cookie policies and active consent mechanisms. Overall, the site demonstrates a mature digital presence with high trustworthiness and professional content quality.

Detected Technologies

ReactArc Fusion CMSGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsMarfeel SDKSophi AnalyticsDataDome Bot ProtectionAdRecoverTinypass (payment/subscription)Boomerang (performance monitoring)

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

PennLive operates within the media sector, targeting local news consumers in Pennsylvania. Its competitive advantage lies in its affiliation with Advance Local, providing access to shared resources and sister sites. Revenue streams include advertising and subscription services, supported by integrated marketing and analytics tools. The site leverages partnerships with major ad networks and analytics providers to optimize monetization and audience insights. The business ecosystem includes multiple sister domains serving different regional markets, enhancing brand reach and operational synergy. Strategic observations suggest a focus on digital transformation and audience engagement through personalized content and subscription models.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Email Addresses (28)

b*****@pennlive.com
m*****@pennlive.com
j*****@pennlive.com
s*****@pennlive.com
s*****@pennlive.com
+23 more emails found

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website exhibits a solid security posture with enforced HTTPS, comprehensive security headers, and bot mitigation via DataDome. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the analyzed content. However, the absence of a publicly available security policy or incident response contact information represents a compliance gap. The site’s use of multiple third-party scripts necessitates ongoing security audits to mitigate supply chain risks. GDPR compliance is evident through the use of a consent management platform (Fides) and detailed privacy policies. Incident response readiness and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms are not explicitly documented, which could be improved to enhance transparency and trust.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a dedicated security policy page including incident response contacts to improve transparency.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Advance Local Media LLC

Description:

Provides latest Pennsylvania news, sports, breaking updates, daily weather, and top stories from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and beyond.

Key Services:
Local news reportingSports coverageWeather updatesDigital subscriptionsNewsletters and alerts
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
ReactArc Fusion CMSGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsMarfeel SDKSophi AnalyticsDataDome Bot ProtectionAdRecoverTinypass (payment/subscription)Boomerang (performance monitoring)
Frameworks:
ReactArc Fusion
Platforms:
Web
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Bot protection via DataDome
  • Use of security headers
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsGoogle Tag ManagerSophi AnalyticsAhrefs AnalyticsLinkedIn Insight
Tracking Level:extensive
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
Amazon Ad SystemRubicon ProjectCasale MediaDoubleClickTaboolaScorecard ResearchBlueConic
Tracking Pixels:
LinkedIn InsightSophi AnalyticsDataDomeAhrefs Analytics
Marketing Tools:
Tinypass (subscription/paywall)Marfeel SDK
Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Website is a professional regional news portal with extensive content and multimedia.

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

30/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

Missing X-Content-Type-Options header

MEDIUM

Prevents MIME type sniffing

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Weak Referrer-Policy configuration

LOW

Current value: "no-referrer-when-downgrade"

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

58/100
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

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

17/100
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

📧Email Security

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

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

92/100
Score

Complex SPF record

LOW

Too many include statements can cause lookup limits

No TLS-RPT Record

LOW

TLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues

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.protection.outlook.com include:_spf.salesforce.com include:aspmx.sailthru.com include:spf.mandrillapp.com include:_affiliate.advancelocal.com -all
DNS Lookups:5/10
Policy:-all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:selector1(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:selector2(1416-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:quarantine
Aggregate Reports:xnnzrak0@ag.dmarcian.com
Forensic Reports:xnnzrak0@fr.dmarcian.com
MTA-STS Details

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

85/100
Score

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 48 days

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

2 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 2 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Certificate Details

Subject:advancelocal.web.arc-cdn.net
Issuer:R10
Valid Until:10/23/2025 (48 days)
SANs:advancelocal.web.arc-cdn.net, connect-uat.lehighvalleylive.com, connect-uat.masslive.com +82 more

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

Domain Age
27 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
low(124 days)
Protection Level
strongDNSSEC OFF

DNS Records

A Records:75.2.53.215, 99.83.138.34
Name Servers:
dns1.p09.nsone.net
dns2.p09.nsone.net
dns3.p09.nsone.net
dns4.p09.nsone.net
ns5.dnsmadeeasy.com
MX Records:
0: pennlive-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
SOA:Serial: 1645726799, TTL: 1800s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:83ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:_spf.salesforce.com include:aspmx.sailthru.com include:spf.mandrillapp.com include:_affiliate.advancelocal.com -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

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on a modern technology stack featuring React and Arc Fusion CMS, enabling dynamic content delivery and modular design. Integration with multiple analytics and advertising platforms supports data-driven decision-making and monetization. Hosting appears to leverage Akamai CDN services, contributing to moderate to good performance. The site is mobile-optimized with responsive design and includes SEO best practices such as structured data (JSON-LD) and Open Graph metadata. Technical debt appears minimal, though continuous monitoring of third-party scripts is advised to maintain security and performance. Opportunities exist to further enhance accessibility and streamline consent management for improved user experience.
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