
Is substack.com Safe? Security Analysis for Substack
Check if substack.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

AI Summary
Substack is a well-established platform founded in 2010 that empowers independent writers and content creators to publish subscription-based newsletters with full editorial control and ownership. The platform is positioned as a leader in the independent publishing space, offering key services such as newsletter publishing, subscription management, and reader engagement tools. The website demonstrates a professional design and consistent branding, targeting independent voices and readers interested in subscription content. Technically, Substack employs modern web technologies including React/Preact, Tailwind CSS, and Webpack, hosted on Amazon infrastructure with Cloudflare DNS and CDN services. The site is optimized for performance and mobile responsiveness, providing a good user experience. However, some SEO and accessibility features are basic, and there is room for improvement in these areas. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and uses domain status protections to prevent unauthorized changes. While no critical vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected, the absence of DNSSEC and explicit security policies or incident response information suggests opportunities to enhance security posture. Privacy compliance indicators such as privacy and cookie policies are not evident in the provided content, indicating a potential compliance gap. Overall, Substack presents a trustworthy and professional platform with a strong market position. Strategic recommendations include enabling DNSSEC, publishing comprehensive privacy and security policies, and adding vulnerability disclosure mechanisms to further strengthen trust and compliance.
Detected Technologies
🧠AI Business Intelligence
Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.
Business Intelligence
Market & Strategic Analysis
Substack operates in the technology and media sectors, focusing on subscription-based newsletter publishing. Its business model revolves around enabling independent creators to monetize their content directly, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. The platform's competitive advantage lies in its ownership model, allowing creators to retain intellectual property and subscriber relationships. Revenue streams likely include subscription fees and possibly platform fees. The target audience includes independent writers, journalists, and readers seeking curated content. Growth indicators include a mature domain age and consistent branding. The partnership ecosystem includes Amazon for domain registration and Cloudflare for DNS/CDN services. The company maintains a medium size with a focus on technology-driven content delivery.
Security Posture Analysis
Comprehensive Security Assessment
Substack demonstrates a mature security posture with HTTPS enforcement and domain registration protections. The use of Cloudflare DNS adds a layer of security and performance. However, the lack of DNSSEC and absence of published security policies or incident response contacts indicate areas for improvement. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were found in the analyzed content. Compliance with GDPR and other privacy regulations is unclear due to missing privacy and cookie policies. The platform would benefit from publishing a security.txt file and vulnerability disclosure guidelines to enhance transparency and incident readiness. Overall, the security culture appears professional but could be more explicit in communication.
Strategic Recommendations
Priority Actions for Security Improvement
Enable DNSSEC to improve DNS security and prevent spoofing.
✨Observations
AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.
AI-Enhanced Website Analysis
Business Insights
Substack
Substack is a platform for independent voices, enabling writers and creators to publish newsletters and monetize their content with full editorial control and ownership of their intellectual property, mailing lists, and subscriber payments.
good
consistent
Technical Stack
fast
good
basic
basic
Security Assessment
- HTTPS enforced
- Domain status includes clientDeleteProhibited, clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited
- No exposed sensitive data in HTML
- Use of Cloudflare DNS for protection
Analytics & Tracking
Advertising & Marketing
Website Quality Assessment
Key Observations
Website content is fully accessible and not blocked by WAF.
🛡️Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.
Security Headers
HTTP security headers analysis
Missing X-Frame-Options header
HIGHPrevents clickjacking attacks
Missing X-Content-Type-Options header
MEDIUMPrevents MIME type sniffing
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
Critical sector without clear security compliance
HIGHDetected sectors: energy, transport, banking, health, digital
📧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
SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days
MEDIUMSSL certificate expires in 56 days
Weak SSL Key Length
HIGHSSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak
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 Registration Details
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