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Is ward-howell.com a Scam? Security Check Results - Ward Howell International

ward-howell.com Security Report Summary

ward-howell.com received a security score of 31 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Potentially Unsafe". This report covers Ward Howell International's website security posture. Ward Howell International operates in the Other industry in Austria.

Ward Howell International is a globally recognized executive search firm, established in 1951, offering a broad range of leadership and talent management services. The company positions itself as a premier strategic partner for organizations seeking transformative leaders, with a strong global presence and diverse industry coverage. Their website reflects a professional and content-rich platform targeting organizations in need of executive search and leadership advisory services. Technically, the site is built on WordPress with modern plugins and integrations, including interactive maps and advanced search capabilities. However, the absence of a valid SSL certificate and HTTPS implementation significantly undermines the site's security posture. While privacy and cookie policies are comprehensive and GDPR compliant, the lack of explicit contact emails and phone numbers limits direct communication channels. Overall, the site demonstrates strong business credibility and content quality but requires urgent security improvements to protect user data and enhance trust.

The security scan identified 26 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: WordPress, PHP, jQuery, Google Maps API, Slider Revolution, Ajax Search Pro, Interactive World Maps, Contact Form 7, GDPR Cookie Compliance plugin, W3 Total Cache, Web.

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 ward-howell.com Safe? Security Analysis for Ward Howell International

http://ward-howell.com

Check if ward-howell.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

OtherAustrialarge
WordPressPHPjQueryGoogle Maps APISlider Revolution+6 more
Analyzed 6/15/2025Completed 12:24:27 AM9mo ago
31
Security Score
HIGH RISK

10,000+

Domains scanned

500+

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Domainward-howell.com
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SEQ SIA

Lastadijas 12 k-3, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050

Reg. No. 40203410806 • VAT LV40203410806

Support: guard@offseq.com+371 2256 5353

AI Summary

Ward Howell International is a globally recognized executive search firm, established in 1951, offering a broad range of leadership and talent management services. The company positions itself as a premier strategic partner for organizations seeking transformative leaders, with a strong global presence and diverse industry coverage. Their website reflects a professional and content-rich platform targeting organizations in need of executive search and leadership advisory services. Technically, the site is built on WordPress with modern plugins and integrations, including interactive maps and advanced search capabilities. However, the absence of a valid SSL certificate and HTTPS implementation significantly undermines the site's security posture. While privacy and cookie policies are comprehensive and GDPR compliant, the lack of explicit contact emails and phone numbers limits direct communication channels. Overall, the site demonstrates strong business credibility and content quality but requires urgent security improvements to protect user data and enhance trust.

Detected Technologies

WordPressPHPjQueryGoogle Maps APISlider RevolutionAjax Search ProInteractive World MapsContact Form 7GDPR Cookie Compliance pluginW3 Total CacheWeb

10 urgent findings need attention

3 critical · 7 high

  • + 2 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

25/100

GDPR Compliance

5 findings

33/100

NIS2 Compliance

8 findings

5/100

Email Security

1 finding

50/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

Ward Howell International operates in the professional services sector, focusing on executive search, interim services, management assessment, and leadership advisory. Their market position as one of the oldest firms in this space provides a competitive advantage. The business model revolves around connecting organizations with leadership talent across multiple industries including energy, finance, legal, technology, and non-profit sectors. The company maintains a large footprint with 33 offices in 24 countries, indicating significant scale and reach. Their digital presence includes social media and podcast channels, supporting brand engagement and thought leadership. The website's structured navigation and detailed service offerings reflect a mature business with a clear target audience of corporate clients and leadership teams.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website's security posture is weak due to the lack of a valid SSL certificate and absence of HTTPS, exposing users to potential data interception risks. Although some security headers like Strict-Transport-Security are present, they are ineffective without proper SSL configuration. No vulnerable libraries or known exploits are detected, but the lack of modern TLS protocols and cipher suites is a critical gap. There is no visible security or incident response policy, nor contact channels for security incidents. Privacy compliance is well addressed with GDPR cookie consent mechanisms and detailed policies. The site should prioritize SSL deployment and enhance security configurations to mitigate risks and improve user trust.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Obtain and install a valid SSL/TLS certificate to enable HTTPS across the entire site.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

25/100
Score

Weak Strict-Transport-Security configuration

LOW

Current value: "max-age=15768000; includeSubDomains"

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)

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

33/100
Score

No Cookie Consent Banner found

HIGH

GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

Insufficient contact information

MEDIUM

GDPR requires organizations to provide clear contact details

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

No HTTPS encryption

CRITICAL

GDPR requires appropriate security measures for personal data

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy80% confidence
Cookie Policy80% confidence

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

5/100
Score

No HTTPS encryption

CRITICAL

NIS2 requires appropriate technical measures including encryption

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 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

50/100
Score

Email Security Check Incomplete

MEDIUM

Some email security checks timed out

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

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

0/100
Score

No HTTPS Encryption

CRITICAL

Website does not use HTTPS encryption, making all data transmission vulnerable to interception

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:82.165.123.210
Name Servers:
ns1022.ui-dns.bizDNS only
ns1022.ui-dns.comDNS only
ns1022.ui-dns.deDNS only
ns1022.ui-dns.orgDNS only
MX Records:
0: wardhowell-com01b.mail.protection.outlook.com

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

40/100
Score

Service Exposed: SSH

MEDIUM

Port 22 (SSH) is publicly accessible - SSH - Secure but can be brute-forced

How does ward-howell.com compare?

ward-howell.com scores below average. Browse similar domains to see how competitors handle security.

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on WordPress 6.8.1 with a child theme of Betheme, leveraging multiple plugins such as Contact Form 7, Ajax Search Pro, GDPR Cookie Compliance, Interactive World Maps, and Slider Revolution. The hosting environment uses Nginx with Plesk Linux. The site uses Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager for tracking. Performance data is unavailable, but caching is enabled via W3 Total Cache. Mobile optimization is good with responsive design and lazy loading of images. SEO is enhanced by Yoast SEO plugin with proper meta tags and structured data in JSON-LD format. However, the lack of SSL and HTTPS is a major technical deficiency. The site uses several external scripts and fonts loaded from Google and other CDNs. Overall, the technical infrastructure is modern but requires critical security upgrades.
Professional PDF & Marketing Data

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PDF Report & Export

PDF download, email delivery, unlock code

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

Domainward-howell.com
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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