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Is xad.com a Scam? Security Check Results - GroundTruth Reviews

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Is xad.com Safe? Security Analysis for GroundTruth

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

TechnologyN/alarge
WordPressElementorYoast SEOjQueryGoogle Tag Manager+9 more
Analyzed 9/5/2025Completed 5:53:38 PM
45
Security Score
HIGH RISK

Security scan incomplete. 3 out of 9 security checks failed to complete. The website may be inaccessible or protected by security measures. Please retry the scan or verify the website is accessible.

AI Summary

GroundTruth, formerly known as xAd, is a leading global location-based advertising platform that helps advertisers drive in-store visits and real business outcomes. The company offers a comprehensive suite of location targeting and audience analytics services, leveraging proprietary technologies such as Blueprints and CPV advertising. With a presence in over 21 countries and tracking over a billion physical visits monthly, GroundTruth holds a strong market position in the ad tech industry. The website reflects a mature digital infrastructure with extensive use of modern marketing and analytics tools, including Google Analytics, HubSpot, Hotjar, and multiple ad pixels. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enforced and cookie consent mechanisms in place, though explicit security policies and incident response contacts are not publicly disclosed. WHOIS data is unavailable or obscured, which slightly impacts trust but is mitigated by the professional presentation and third-party validations. Overall, GroundTruth demonstrates a robust business and technical maturity suitable for enterprise clients.

Detected Technologies

WordPressElementorYoast SEOjQueryGoogle Tag ManagerHotjarHubSpotFacebook PixelBing AdsGoogle AnalyticsLinkedIn Insight TagMutiny personalizationPodscribe pixelUbembed

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

GroundTruth operates in the technology and media sectors, focusing on location-based advertising and audience targeting. Its business model revolves around providing advertisers with actionable location insights and media channel access across mobile, desktop, CTV/OTT, audio, and digital out-of-home platforms. The company has grown through innovation and acquisitions, such as WeatherBug, enhancing its data capabilities. Its target customers include brick-and-mortar retailers and marketers seeking to optimize advertising spend with real-world behavioral data. The website's comprehensive content, clear navigation, and strong branding support its market positioning as a leader in location advertising technology.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website employs HTTPS and integrates multiple third-party analytics and marketing scripts, indicating a modern security-aware environment. Cookie consent banners demonstrate compliance with privacy regulations. However, the absence of explicit security policies, incident response contacts, and a security.txt file suggests room for improvement in transparency and incident readiness. Security headers are not explicitly confirmed but are likely present given the HTTPS usage. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the content. The security score is good but could be enhanced by publishing formal security documentation and improving header configurations.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a dedicated security policy page detailing security practices and compliance frameworks.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

GroundTruth

Description:

GroundTruth is a leading location platform that drives in-store visits and real business results through location-based advertising and insights. Formerly known as xAd, the company offers technologies such as Blueprints, CPV advertising, Ads Manager, and a self-serve buying platform.

Key Services:
Location-based targetingAudience targetingContextual targetingMedia channels (Mobile, Desktop, CTV/OTT, Audio, Digital Out-of-Home, Direct Mail, Social)Blueprints technologySelf-serve platformManaged services
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
WordPressElementorYoast SEOjQueryGoogle Tag ManagerHotjarHubSpotFacebook PixelBing AdsGoogle AnalyticsLinkedIn Insight TagMutiny personalizationPodscribe pixelUbembed
Frameworks:
Yoast SEO Premium
Platforms:
WordPress CMS
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

excellent

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

excellent

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of third-party security and analytics scripts
  • Cookie consent banner implemented

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsHotjarHubSpot AnalyticsLinkedIn Insight TagBing Ads
Tracking Level:extensive
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
Facebook AdsBing AdsGoogle Ads
Tracking Pixels:
Facebook PixelHotjarLinkedIn Insight TagPodscribe PixelMutiny
Marketing Tools:
HubSpotMutinyDrift
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

Website is fully accessible with rich content and professional design

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

90/100
Score

Weak Referrer-Policy configuration

LOW

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

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

83/100
Score

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 Policy85% 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: energy, transport, banking, digital

📧Email Security

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

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

0/100
Score
Analysis failed - content could not be retrieved
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
Analysis failed - content could not be retrieved

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

0/100
Score
Analysis failed - content could not be retrieved

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 WordPress CMS with Elementor page builder and Yoast SEO Premium plugin, ensuring strong SEO and content management capabilities. It uses a broad set of marketing and analytics technologies including Google Tag Manager, Hotjar, HubSpot, Facebook Pixel, and LinkedIn Insight Tag, reflecting a mature digital marketing infrastructure. The site is mobile-optimized with responsive design and good accessibility features. Performance is moderate, likely influenced by multiple third-party scripts. No hosting provider details were explicitly found. Overall, the technical stack supports a professional and scalable online presence suitable for enterprise-level advertising services.
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