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Is sc.edu a Scam? Security Check Results - University of South Carolina

sc.edu Security Report Summary

sc.edu received a security score of 59 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Elevated Risk". This report covers University of South Carolina's website security posture. University of South Carolina operates in the Education industry in United States.

The University of South Carolina website serves as the official digital presence of a large, established public research university in the United States. It offers comprehensive information about academic programs, research opportunities, student life, admissions, and community engagement. The site targets prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, and families, providing a broad range of services and resources. The business model is centered on education and research, positioning the university as a leading institution in higher education. Technically, the website employs a modern technology stack including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and the Foundation CSS framework. It integrates multiple analytics and marketing tools such as Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel, Microsoft Clarity, and SiteImprove Analytics. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and demonstrates good SEO practices. The CMS appears to be OmniUpdate, a platform commonly used by educational institutions. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and uses secure external scripts. However, explicit security headers like Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options are not evident. There is no visible security policy or incident response contact information, and no vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file is present. Privacy compliance is partial, with a comprehensive privacy policy available but lacking a clear cookie consent mechanism. Overall, the website is professional, trustworthy, and content-rich, with a high level of business credibility. The main areas for improvement include enhancing privacy compliance with cookie consent, publishing security policies, and implementing additional security headers to strengthen the security posture.

The security scan identified 34 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery, Foundation CSS Framework, Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel, Microsoft Clarity, SiteImprove Analytics, Capture Higher Ed (CBE), TwicPics (image optimization).

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 sc.edu Safe? Security Analysis for University of South Carolina

https://sc.edu

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

EducationUnited Stateslarge
HTML5CSS3JavaScriptjQueryFoundation CSS Framework+6 more
Analyzed 7/23/2025Completed 9:24:13 PM8mo ago
59
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Above Education avg (55)

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domainsc.edu
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AI Summary

The University of South Carolina website serves as the official digital presence of a large, established public research university in the United States. It offers comprehensive information about academic programs, research opportunities, student life, admissions, and community engagement. The site targets prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, and families, providing a broad range of services and resources. The business model is centered on education and research, positioning the university as a leading institution in higher education. Technically, the website employs a modern technology stack including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and the Foundation CSS framework. It integrates multiple analytics and marketing tools such as Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel, Microsoft Clarity, and SiteImprove Analytics. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and demonstrates good SEO practices. The CMS appears to be OmniUpdate, a platform commonly used by educational institutions. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and uses secure external scripts. However, explicit security headers like Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options are not evident. There is no visible security policy or incident response contact information, and no vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file is present. Privacy compliance is partial, with a comprehensive privacy policy available but lacking a clear cookie consent mechanism. Overall, the website is professional, trustworthy, and content-rich, with a high level of business credibility. The main areas for improvement include enhancing privacy compliance with cookie consent, publishing security policies, and implementing additional security headers to strengthen the security posture.

Detected Technologies

HTML5CSS3JavaScriptjQueryFoundation CSS FrameworkGoogle Tag ManagerFacebook PixelMicrosoft ClaritySiteImprove AnalyticsCapture Higher Ed (CBE)TwicPics (image optimization)

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

8 findings

15/100

GDPR Compliance

4 findings

53/100

NIS2 Compliance

9 findings

2/100

Email Security

4 findings

75/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

The University of South Carolina holds a strong market position as a large public research university offering over 350 degree programs across 15 colleges and schools. Its competitive advantages include a broad academic portfolio, extensive research opportunities, and a well-established brand. The university's revenue streams likely include tuition, government funding, research grants, and donations. The target customer segments encompass undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. The institution maintains a robust partnership ecosystem, including academic collaborations and community engagement initiatives. Strategic observations highlight the university's focus on innovation, inclusivity, and comprehensive student support services, positioning it well for sustained growth and influence in higher education.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a mature security posture with enforced HTTPS and the use of reputable third-party analytics and marketing services. The absence of explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options represents a moderate risk that could be mitigated to prevent common web attacks like clickjacking and content injection. The lack of a published security policy and incident response contact limits transparency and readiness for security incidents. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the HTML content. Privacy compliance is partial, with a privacy policy present but no cookie consent mechanism, which may pose compliance risks under regulations like GDPR. Overall, the security culture appears functional but could benefit from formalized policies and enhanced technical controls.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement comprehensive cookie consent mechanisms to comply with privacy regulations and enhance user trust.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

University of South Carolina

Description:

Groundbreaking academics. World-changing research. Welcoming student life. Together we are The Remarkable We.

Key Services:
Undergraduate and Graduate EducationResearch OpportunitiesStudent Life and Support ServicesAdmissions and EnrollmentCommunity Engagement
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
HTML5CSS3JavaScriptjQueryFoundation CSS FrameworkGoogle Tag ManagerFacebook PixelMicrosoft ClaritySiteImprove AnalyticsCapture Higher Ed (CBE)TwicPics (image optimization)
Frameworks:
Foundation
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of secure external analytics and tracking scripts

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsMicrosoft ClaritySiteImprove AnalyticsFacebook Pixel
Tracking Level:extensive
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
AppNexus (secure.adnxs.com)The Trade Desk (insight.adsrvr.org)
Tracking Pixels:
Facebook PixelMicrosoft ClarityGoogle Analytics (via GTM)SiteImprove AnalyticsCapture Higher Ed (CBE)
Marketing Tools:
Capture Higher Ed
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 a professionally designed, large public university site

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

15/100
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 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)

Missing Referrer-Policy header

LOW

Controls referrer information sent with requests

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
phone

🛡️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: transport, banking, health, digital

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📧Email Security

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

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

75/100
Score

DMARC not enforcing

MEDIUM

DMARC policy is set to "none"

No BIMI Record

LOW

BIMI displays brand logos in email clients

No MTA-STS Policy

MEDIUM

MTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery

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 ip4:129.252.0.0/16 ip4:65.122.174.12 include:_spft.sc.edu -all
DNS Lookups:1/10
Policy:-all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:k2(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:selector1(1416-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:none
Aggregate Reports:29782d7c10ed.a@dmarcinput.com
Forensic Reports:29782d7c10ed.f@dmarcinput.com

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

67/100
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

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

14 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

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

80/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

DMARC Policy Set to None

LOW

DMARC is configured but not enforcing any policy

Domain Registration Details

Expiry Risk
none(488 days)

DNS Records

A Records:129.252.90.108
Name Servers:
ns0.dnsmadeeasy.comDNS only
ns1.dnsmadeeasy.comDNS only
ns2.dnsmadeeasy.comDNS only
ns3.dnsmadeeasy.comDNS only
ns4.dnsmadeeasy.comDNS only
MX Records:
0: sc-edu.mail.protection.outlook.com
SOA:Serial: 2009010631, TTL: 180s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:104ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 ip4:129.252.0.0/16 ip4:65.122.174.12 include:_spft.sc.edu -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 sc.edu compare?

See how sc.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 is built on a solid technical foundation using modern web standards and frameworks, including Foundation CSS and JavaScript libraries like jQuery. It integrates multiple analytics and marketing tools, indicating a mature digital marketing strategy. The site is mobile-responsive and accessible, with good SEO optimization evident from meta tags and structured navigation. The use of OmniUpdate CMS suggests a stable content management environment tailored for educational institutions. Performance is moderate, with some opportunities for optimization, particularly in image loading and script management. Technical risks are minimal but include reliance on multiple third-party scripts which require ongoing security monitoring.
Professional PDF & Marketing Data

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PDF Report & Export

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Marketing Intelligence

Contact emails, phone numbers & warm leads

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

Domainsc.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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