Skip to main content

Security report for advancelocal.com

Advance Local · Media · N/a

Low risk. 5 critical or high findings in Security headers, GDPR outside view and 1 other check.

Security score

78/100

Risk levelLow

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

Advance Local is a prominent media, marketing, and technology company operating a portfolio of local and nationwide news and information websites, newspapers, and marketing platforms. The company emphasizes award-winning journalism, community empowerment, and innovation, positioning itself as a leader in local media with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Their business model integrates traditional media with modern SaaS and data solutions, serving a broad audience across multiple states and markets. Technically, the website is built on WordPress using Elementor and Yoast SEO, indicating a modern and flexible CMS infrastructure. The site employs Google Analytics for user tracking and Fides.js for privacy and cookie consent management, reflecting a moderate level of digital maturity. The site is mobile optimized and features good SEO practices, although accessibility could be improved. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with good SSL configuration and includes privacy consent mechanisms. However, it lacks visible security headers, explicit security policies, and vulnerability disclosure information, which are areas for improvement. No WAF or blocking mechanisms were detected, and no critical vulnerabilities were found in the content. Overall, the website presents a professional and trustworthy front for Advance Local, but the absence of WHOIS data and explicit contact information slightly reduces trustworthiness. Strategic recommendations include enhancing security headers, publishing security policies, and improving transparency around contact and incident response.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
58/ 100 · Medium
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

5 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. 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 Content-Security-Policy header

      Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

      What to do: Implement a Content-Security-Policy appropriate for your application

      • ASVS V3.4.3
      • OWASP Secure Headers: OWASP Secure Headers Project recommends Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; form-action 'self'; base-uri 'self'; object-src 'none';…
  2. GDPR outside view

    These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.

    • High

      No Cookie Policy found

      GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

      What to do: Add a dedicated cookie policy explaining cookie usage and purposes

    • High

      No Cookie Consent Banner found

      GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

      What to do: Implement a cookie consent banner that appears on first visit

  3. 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

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

Keep watching advancelocal.com

This scan found 16 issues across 6 checks. Monitoring re-runs those checks daily, emails you when something material changes and records each fix, so you can show progress.

Daily monitoring

Recommended

€25per month

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

Email alerts on material changes and an exportable JSON history of every change.

Billed monthly to your card. Cancel anytime. The full timeline opens with your unlock code.

Full report

€39.90one-time

  • The complete analysis as a PDF you can cite
  • Email delivery with an unlock code
  • Lifetime access to this report

Prices incl. 21% VAT. Secure checkout by Mollie; sold by SEQ SIA, Latvia.

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
82
Security headers
55
Email security
85
DNS health
85
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
58
Average
78

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
  • 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

Breach exposure

Leaked credentials and lookalike domains from OffSeq Breach. The counts are free; the detailed lists are paid add-ons.

Dark web exposure

Add-on

Leaked records that mention advancelocal.com, from OffSeq Breach.

Total records
4
Employees
0
Customers
4
Third parties
0
Weak passwords
0%

1 subdomain affected

See the 10 newest leaked credentials

A one-off add-on to this report that lists the most recent identifier and password pairs OffSeq Breach holds for advancelocal.com.

Select it in the checkout above.

Breach keeps ingesting new leaks, so these numbers can grow between scans.

Technical appendix

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

Business context

Business profile

Advance Local holds a strong market position as a leading local media and marketing company with a diversified portfolio of news websites and marketing technology platforms. Their competitive advantage lies in award-winning journalism combined with innovative SaaS and data-driven marketing solutions. Revenue streams likely include advertising, subscription services, and marketing platform fees. The target customer segments include local communities, advertisers, and business partners seeking local market reach. Growth indicators include recent awards, new product launches, and expansion of investigative journalism fellowships. The partnership ecosystem includes multiple subsidiary media brands and technology companies, enhancing their market footprint and service offerings.

Security posture

The current security posture of Advance Local's website is moderate. HTTPS is properly implemented, ensuring encrypted communications. Privacy and cookie consent are managed via a reputable third-party script (Fides.js), indicating awareness of privacy regulations. However, the absence of key security headers such as Content Security Policy (CSP), HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), and X-Frame-Options reduces protection against common web attacks. No explicit security or incident response policies are published, and no vulnerability disclosure or security.txt files are present, limiting transparency and preparedness. The lack of visible contact information for security incidents further weakens incident response readiness. Overall, while no critical vulnerabilities are evident, there is room for improvement in security best practices and compliance documentation.

Recommendations

  1. Implement comprehensive security headers including CSP, HSTS, and X-Frame-Options to enhance protection against web-based attacks.
  2. Publish clear security policies and incident response procedures on the website to improve transparency and preparedness.
  3. Create and maintain a vulnerability disclosure program and security.txt file to facilitate responsible reporting of security issues.
  4. Enhance accessibility compliance to ensure the website is usable by all users, including those with disabilities.
  5. Provide explicit and easily accessible contact information for security and privacy concerns to build trust and facilitate communication.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Advance Local
Description
Advance Local operates businesses spanning media, marketing and technology. We have a pure passion for people, innovation and a shared mission.
Key services
Local news and information websites, Newspapers and magazines, Marketing and data solutions, SaaS platforms
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
WordPress, Elementor, Google Analytics, Yoast SEO, jQuery, Swiper.js, Fides.js (privacy management)
Frameworks
Elementor, Yoast SEO
Platforms
WordPress CMS
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
80/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enabled
  • Privacy consent management via Fides.js

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
basic

Advertising

Marketing tools
Yoast SEO, Elementor
Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is a professional media and marketing company site with rich content and award recognition.
  2. No WHOIS data available, which is unusual for a .com domain.
  3. Privacy and cookie consent managed via Fides.js with visible consent mechanism.
  4. No explicit contact emails or phone numbers found on the homepage content.
  5. No visible security.txt or vulnerability disclosure information.
  6. Uses modern WordPress CMS with Elementor and Yoast SEO plugins.
  7. Social media presence includes Facebook, Twitter (X), and LinkedIn.
  8. No WAF or blocking detected; site fully accessible.
  9. Content is safe for general audiences with no adult or explicit content.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a modern WordPress CMS platform using Elementor for page building and Yoast SEO for search engine optimization. It integrates Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager for analytics and tracking. The use of Fides.js for privacy and cookie consent management demonstrates compliance efforts with privacy regulations. The site features responsive design and multimedia content including videos and image carousels. Performance is moderate with room for optimization, particularly in accessibility and security header implementation. The technical stack is well-suited for a media company but would benefit from enhanced security configurations and improved contact transparency to reduce operational risks.
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

Earlier scans of this domain

  1. 71/100Medium29 findingsView report
  2. 71/100Medium29 findingsView report
Reviews of this site

Share your experience with advancelocal.com. Every review is verified by email and published after moderation.

Overall rating
Select a rating
4000 characters remaining

We’ll email you to confirm your review and keep your details private.

Community rating

No published reviews yet. Be the first to review advancelocal.com.

Feedback on this report

Rate this report, add an optional comment, and tell us if you want a security specialist to follow up.

Overall report quality
Select a rating
2000 characters remaining

We only use your feedback to improve Guard reports. Contact details are never shared.