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Is va.gov a Scam? Security Check Results - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

va.gov Security Report Summary

va.gov received a security score of 59 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Elevated Risk". This report covers U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs's website security posture. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates in the Government industry in United States.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates VA.gov as the official digital portal for Veterans, service members, and their families to access a wide range of benefits and health care services. The website serves as a comprehensive resource for applying, managing, and learning about VA benefits including health care, disability compensation, education, employment, housing, life insurance, and burial services. It holds a strong market position as the primary federal agency website dedicated to Veterans affairs. Technically, VA.gov employs modern web technologies including JavaScript, Web Components, and Google Tag Manager, hosted on AWS infrastructure. The site is built on Drupal CMS and follows the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) for accessibility and responsive design, delivering excellent performance and user experience across devices. SEO and accessibility are well implemented, with clear navigation and professional branding. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS with strong SSL configuration and uses security best practices such as nonce attributes in scripts and privacy policy transparency. However, it lacks an explicit cookie consent mechanism and a published vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file. Incident response contact details are not explicitly provided. Overall, the security posture is strong but could be improved with these additions. The website is highly trustworthy, with consistent WHOIS data confirming its legitimacy as a U.S. government domain. It contains no adult or questionable content and targets a general audience of Veterans and related stakeholders. The site integrates analytics and feedback tools responsibly, maintaining good privacy compliance. Strategically, VA.gov is a critical government digital service with excellent content quality and technical maturity. Enhancements in privacy consent and vulnerability disclosure would further strengthen user trust and compliance.

The security scan identified 24 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: JavaScript, Google Tag Manager, Web Components, Polyfills, AWS S3 hosting for assets.

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 va.gov Safe? Security Analysis for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

https://va.gov

Check if va.gov is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

GovernmentUnited Statesenterprise
JavaScriptGoogle Tag ManagerWeb ComponentsPolyfillsAWS S3 hosting for assets
Analyzed 10/8/2025Completed 7:24:47 PM8mo ago
59
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Below Government avg (70)

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domainva.gov
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AI Summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates VA.gov as the official digital portal for Veterans, service members, and their families to access a wide range of benefits and health care services. The website serves as a comprehensive resource for applying, managing, and learning about VA benefits including health care, disability compensation, education, employment, housing, life insurance, and burial services. It holds a strong market position as the primary federal agency website dedicated to Veterans affairs. Technically, VA.gov employs modern web technologies including JavaScript, Web Components, and Google Tag Manager, hosted on AWS infrastructure. The site is built on Drupal CMS and follows the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) for accessibility and responsive design, delivering excellent performance and user experience across devices. SEO and accessibility are well implemented, with clear navigation and professional branding. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS with strong SSL configuration and uses security best practices such as nonce attributes in scripts and privacy policy transparency. However, it lacks an explicit cookie consent mechanism and a published vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file. Incident response contact details are not explicitly provided. Overall, the security posture is strong but could be improved with these additions. The website is highly trustworthy, with consistent WHOIS data confirming its legitimacy as a U.S. government domain. It contains no adult or questionable content and targets a general audience of Veterans and related stakeholders. The site integrates analytics and feedback tools responsibly, maintaining good privacy compliance. Strategically, VA.gov is a critical government digital service with excellent content quality and technical maturity. Enhancements in privacy consent and vulnerability disclosure would further strengthen user trust and compliance.

Detected Technologies

JavaScriptGoogle Tag ManagerWeb ComponentsPolyfillsAWS S3 hosting for assets

8 urgent findings need attention

1 critical · 7 high

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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

6 findings

45/100

GDPR Compliance

4 findings

53/100

NIS2 Compliance

8 findings

17/100

Email Security

2 findings

82/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

VA.gov is positioned as the authoritative government portal for Veterans benefits and services, leveraging its .gov domain and official branding to establish trust. Its business model is service-oriented, focusing on delivering government benefits and information rather than commercial revenue. The site supports a broad target audience including Veterans, service members, families, and caregivers. The partnership ecosystem includes other government agencies and resources such as the Department of Labor and National Archives. The site’s comprehensive service offerings and integration with crisis support lines demonstrate a mature and well-coordinated government digital presence. Competitive advantages include official status, extensive content coverage, and strong accessibility compliance. The site’s use of modern technologies and analytics supports continuous improvement and user engagement. Growth indicators include ongoing updates, mobile app promotion, and outreach events. The absence of commercial advertising and affiliate programs aligns with its government mission.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

VA.gov exhibits a mature security posture with mandatory HTTPS, strong SSL configuration, and use of security best practices such as script nonces and privacy policy transparency. The site avoids exposing sensitive data in HTML and integrates accessibility and privacy links prominently. However, the lack of an explicit cookie consent mechanism and absence of a published vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file represent compliance gaps. Incident response contact information is not clearly provided, which could hinder timely reporting of security issues. No vulnerabilities or suspicious domains were detected in the content. Analytics and tracking are implemented responsibly with government-approved tools. Overall, the site demonstrates a strong security culture appropriate for a federal government service but could improve transparency and user control over data collection.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement a clear cookie consent banner/mechanism to comply with privacy regulations and enhance user trust.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Description:

Official website of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs providing information and access to VA benefits and health care services for Veterans, service members, and their families.

Key Services:
Health care benefitsDisability claimsEducation and training benefitsCareers and employment supportPension benefitsHousing assistanceLife insuranceBurials and memorialsRecords management
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
JavaScriptGoogle Tag ManagerWeb ComponentsPolyfillsAWS S3 hosting for assets
Frameworks:
USWDS (U.S. Web Design System)
Performance:

fast

Mobile:

excellent

Accessibility:

excellent

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
90/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Secure cookies (implied)
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of nonce attributes in scripts
  • Accessibility and privacy links prominently displayed

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsDigital Analytics Program
Tracking Level:moderate
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Tracking Pixels:
Digital Analytics Program (dap.digitalgov.gov)
Marketing Tools:
Medallia feedback system
Transparency Level:good

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Official U.S. government website with .gov domain

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

45/100
Score

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

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

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📧Email Security

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

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

82/100
Score

No DKIM record found

MEDIUM

DKIM adds cryptographic signatures to emails

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 mx ip4:152.130.26.32/27 ip4:152.131.26.32/27 ip4:152.132.26.32/27 ip4:152.133.26.32/27 ip4:152.129.0.0/16 ip6:2600:8000:0:10::0/112 ip6:2600:8010:0:10::0/112 ip6:2600:8020:0:10::0/112 ip6:2600:8030:0:10::0/112 -all
DNS Lookups:1/10
Policy:-all
DMARC Details
Policy:reject
Aggregate Reports:reports@dmarc.cyber.dhs.gov
MTA-STS Details

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

0/100
Score

Unable to retrieve SSL certificate

CRITICAL

Could not establish secure connection to retrieve certificate information

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

DNS Records

A Records:152.133.106.221
AAAA Records:2600:8030:0:28::30:221
Name Servers:
ns1x.va.govDNS only
ns2x.va.govDNS only
ns3x.va.govDNS only
ns4x.va.govDNS only
MX Records:
10: mx20.va.gov
SOA:Serial: 2025100801, TTL: 7200s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:145ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 mx ip4:152.130.26.32/27 ip4:152.131.26.32/27 ip4:152.132.26.32/27 ip4:152.133.26.32/27 ip4:152.129.0.0/16 ip6:2600:8000:0:10::0/112 ip6:2600:8010:0:10::0/112 ip6:2600:8020:0:10::0/112 ip6:2600:8030:0:10::0/112 -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 va.gov compare?

See how va.gov 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 Drupal CMS with a modern front-end leveraging Web Components and polyfills for broad browser support. Hosting assets on AWS S3 buckets ensures scalability and reliability. The use of Google Tag Manager and Digital Analytics Program scripts enables comprehensive analytics and event tracking. The site is optimized for mobile devices and accessibility, following USWDS guidelines. Performance is fast with preloading of fonts and asynchronous script loading. Technical debt appears minimal, with opportunities to further modernize by adopting newer JavaScript frameworks or improving cookie consent management. Overall, the technical infrastructure supports a robust and user-friendly digital experience aligned with government standards.
Professional PDF & Marketing Data

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PDF Report & Export

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39.90 €one-time • Incl. 21% VAT

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

Domainva.gov
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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