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Security report for advanced-steam.org

Advanced Steam Traction · Transportation · United Kingdom

High risk. 10 critical or high findings in Network security, SSL/TLS and 2 other checks.

Security score

41/100

Risk levelHigh

0–100, higher is better. How it is calculated

Advanced Steam Traction is a specialized non-profit organization focused on the development and promotion of advanced steam locomotive technology, heritage steam operation, and engineering research. The organization operates through the Advanced Steam Traction Trust and its commercial arm, Advanced Steam Traction Services Ltd. Their market position is niche, serving engineers, heritage railway enthusiasts, and members interested in steam traction technology. The website provides extensive content including membership services, conferences, publications, and technical projects, targeting a specialized audience with a strong focus on engineering and heritage preservation. Technically, the website is built on WordPress with a mature tech stack including jQuery, Bootstrap, and bbPress for forums. The site is mobile-optimized and has good SEO practices, though performance is moderate. Hosting details are not explicit, but the domain is registered with GoDaddy and uses domaincontrol.com nameservers. Analytics tracking is minimal, with Jetpack Stats active and Google Analytics plugin installed but not configured. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate but lacks DNSSEC and explicit security headers such as CSP or HSTS. Forms use nonce tokens for security, and no sensitive data is exposed. However, the absence of privacy and cookie policies and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms indicates gaps in compliance and transparency. No WAF or blocking mechanisms are detected, and the domain registration is consistent and legitimate. Overall, the website is professional, content-rich, and trustworthy but would benefit from improved privacy compliance, enhanced security headers, and clearer analytics configuration to strengthen its security posture and user trust.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
35/ 100 · High
Checks completed
7of 7

NIS2 Art. 21(2)

  1. (a) Risk analysis and security policies: Not visible from outside
  2. (b) Incident handling: One indicator
  3. (c) Business continuity, backups and crisis management: Not visible from outside
  4. (d) Supply chain security: Not visible from outside
  5. (e) Secure acquisition, development and maintenance, including vulnerability handling: Partly checked
  6. (f) Assessing the effectiveness of security measures: Not visible from outside
  7. (g) Cyber hygiene and security training: Not visible from outside
  8. (h) Cryptography and encryption: Partly checked
  9. (i) HR security, access control and asset management: One indicator
  10. (j) Multi-factor authentication and secured communications: Not visible from outside

This scan rated NIS2 with an earlier keyword method that is no longer shown; rescan for the per-article view. Risk management, continuity, supply chain, training, MFA, management oversight (Art. 20) and incident reporting (Art. 23) need internal evidence, and Guard cannot tell whether NIS2 applies to this organisation.

GDPR is indicative only, based on publicly visible signals: Articles 7, 12, 13 and 32 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. Not a certification or legal assessment.

Priority findings

10 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. Network security

    Services reachable from the internet are the first thing attackers probe. Anything open that does not need to be should be closed.

    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: MySQL

      Port 3306 (MySQL) is publicly accessible - MySQL - Database server

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to MySQL using firewall or VPN

      • NIS2 21(2)(e)
      • IR 2024/2690 6.7.2(f): Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690, Annex point 6.7.2(f): Network security
      • NIST CM-7: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 CM-7: Least Functionality
      • NIST SC-7: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SC-7: Boundary Protection
    • High

      High-Risk Service Exposed: FTP

      Port 21 (FTP) is publicly accessible - FTP - Often unencrypted file transfer

      What to do: Consider restricting access to FTP or implementing strong authentication

      • NIS2 21(2)(e)
      • IR 2024/2690 6.7.2(f): Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690, Annex point 6.7.2(f): Network security
      • NIST CM-7: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 CM-7: Least Functionality
      • NIST SC-7: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SC-7: Boundary Protection

  2. SSL/TLS

    TLS encrypts the connection and proves the site is really yours. Weak or expiring certificates trigger browser warnings and put traffic at risk.

    • High

      Weak Protocols Supported

      Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

      What to do: Disable TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, and all SSL versions

      • CWE-327
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V12.1.1

  3. Security headers

    Security headers are instructions your web server sends to every visitor’s browser. Missing ones leave visitors more exposed to attacks such as clickjacking and injected scripts.

    • High

      Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

      Forces HTTPS connections

      What to do: Add "Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload"

      • CWE-319
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V3.4.1
    • High

      Missing X-Frame-Options header

      Prevents clickjacking attacks

      What to do: Add "X-Frame-Options: DENY" or "X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN"

Need hands-on remediation? Email guard@offseq.com

Keep watching advanced-steam.org

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  • TLS certificates and expiry
  • DNS records
  • SPF, DKIM and DMARC
  • Security headers
  • GDPR and NIS2 posture
  • Exposed services
  • Third-party trackers
  • Security score drift

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Results by check

Each check with its score, findings and the evidence it collected.

How this score is calculated

The security score runs 0–100, higher is better. It is the plain average of the security checks that completed in this scan, each counted equally. A check that could not run is left out: it counts neither as a pass nor as a fail.

Counted in this score

SSL/TLS
47
Security headers
20
Email security
70
DNS health
75
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
35
Average
41

Not counted

  • NIS2 outside view: Re-weights evidence from the TLS, email, DNS, network and hygiene checks, so counting it would count that evidence twice. Shown on its own.
  • OffSeq Observations: An AI reading of the site, useful context but not reproducible evidence. Shown on its own.

Findings that cap the score at 49

Each of these is serious on its own, so while any is present the site cannot rate better than high risk, however good the other checks are.

  • The certificate is not trusted by browsers
  • The website is not served over HTTPS
  • A database, remote desktop, file-sharing or Telnet service is reachable from the internet · found on this site
  • The page loads a script from a compromised source
  • The domain registration has expired
  • SPF authorises every server to send mail as the domain

Partial scans

When the site blocks Guard or most checks cannot run, the score covers only the checks that ran (usually DNS and email), is capped at 75 and is shown as partial, without a risk level.

Risk levels

  • Critical0–25
  • High26–49
  • Medium50–75
  • Low76–100

Technical appendix

Business context, site observations and technical notes gathered during the scan, and the standards behind each reference.

Business context

Business profile

The AST Group occupies a unique niche in the heritage and advanced steam traction sector, leveraging a membership-based model combined with commercial activities. Their competitive advantage lies in their engineering focus and legacy from the 5AT Project. Revenue streams likely include membership fees, book sales, conference fees, and consulting services. The target customer segments are engineers, heritage railway operators, and enthusiasts. Growth indicators include ongoing projects like the Revolution Project and active conference schedules. The partnership ecosystem includes related steam technology websites and social media engagement. Strategic observations highlight the importance of maintaining technical excellence and expanding membership engagement to sustain growth.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a moderate security maturity level with HTTPS enforced and secure form handling. However, the lack of DNSSEC, security headers, and formal security policies limits its defense-in-depth. The absence of privacy and cookie policies poses compliance risks under GDPR and similar regulations. Incident response readiness is unclear due to missing contact channels for security issues. The security culture appears basic, with room for improvement in transparency and proactive security measures. Business impact of these gaps includes potential regulatory scrutiny and reduced user trust. Addressing these gaps would enhance the organization's security posture and compliance standing.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to improve DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Implement security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and Strict-Transport-Security to harden the website against common attacks.
  3. Publish clear privacy and cookie policies with GDPR compliance details and implement a cookie consent mechanism.
  4. Configure or remove unused analytics plugins to avoid unnecessary data collection and reduce attack surface.
  5. Establish and publish a security policy and incident response contact information to improve transparency and readiness.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Advanced Steam Traction
Description
The Group seeks to promote the ongoing development of steam traction with the aim of prolonging steam operation of both main-line and heritage line workings for the interest and enjoyment of present and future generations. It consists of the Advanced Steam Traction Trust (ASTT), a not-for-profit company, and Advanced Steam Traction Services Ltd (ASTS), which undertakes commercial activities on behalf of the Trust.
Key services
Annual conferences, Publication of specialist books, Research projects on steam locomotive technology, Membership services including newsletters and forums, Technical advice and assistance
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
WordPress 6.9.4, PHP, jQuery 3.7.1, Bootstrap 2.3.2, Font Awesome 4.2.0, PrettyPhoto, bbPress forum plugin, Dynamic Menu Manager plugin, Clear Cache Everywhere plugin
Frameworks
WordPress
Platforms
Web
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
70/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enabled
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of nonce tokens in forms
  • Login form uses POST method with hidden nonce fields

Analytics and tracking

Services
Jetpack Stats, Google Analytics (plugin installed but inactive)
Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
poor

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Jetpack Stats (WordPress.com stats)
Transparency
basic

Site quality

Design
good
User experience
good
Content relevance
good
Navigation
good
Professionalism
good
Trustworthiness
high

Key observations

  1. Website is a WordPress-based site focused on heritage and advanced steam locomotive technology.
  2. Content is rich with over 500 pages and detailed technical and membership information.
  3. No privacy or cookie policies explicitly found on the site.
  4. Contact information includes a company phone number and email in JSON-LD and visible mailto links.
  5. Site uses HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate from GoDaddy.
  6. No security.txt or vulnerability disclosure policy found.
  7. No explicit security headers detected in the HTML content.
  8. Google Analytics plugin is installed but not configured.
  9. Site includes a login/register form for members using bbPress plugin.
  10. External links include social media (Facebook) and related steam technology sites.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a stable and widely used CMS platform (WordPress) with a mature technology stack including jQuery, Bootstrap, and bbPress for community features. The site is mobile-optimized and SEO-friendly with structured data and Open Graph tags. Performance is moderate, likely due to the number of plugins and content volume. Technical debt is minimal but could be reduced by removing unused plugins and updating to newer frameworks or libraries. Modernization opportunities include upgrading Bootstrap to a newer version and enhancing accessibility features. Technical risks include potential vulnerabilities from outdated libraries and lack of security headers, which could impact business operations if exploited.
Standards and sources

Reference chips under each finding point to the standard, regulation or specification the finding relates to. They are taken from the official datasets below and mapped conservatively: a finding with no defensible link shows none. NIS2 and GDPR references mark where a finding is relevant evidence, not a compliance verdict. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690 binds digital infrastructure and digital service providers; for other entities it is the most detailed public reading of the Article 21 measures. WCAG, EN 301 549, European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive references name the requirement an automated accessibility rule relates to; they are not a conformance verdict.

Retrieved 2026-10-25

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