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Security report for alternate.de

Alternate GmbH · E-commerce · Germany

High risk. 16 critical or high findings in Network security, GDPR outside view and 2 other checks.

Security score

49/100

Risk levelHigh

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

Alternate GmbH operates a leading German e-commerce platform specializing in electronics, computer hardware, household appliances, and related products. The company targets both general consumers and business customers, offering a wide product range and specialized B2B services. The website is professionally designed, mobile-optimized, and provides a seamless user experience with clear navigation and rich content. Technically, the site leverages modern frameworks such as Jakarta Faces and integrates third-party services like Usercentrics for GDPR-compliant cookie management and Epoq for personalized recommendations. Hosting and DNS are managed via Cloudflare, ensuring robust performance and security. Security posture is strong with HTTPS enforcement, security headers, and secure form handling, though explicit security policies and incident response contacts are not published. Overall, the site demonstrates high business credibility, compliance with privacy regulations, and a trustworthy online presence.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
80/ 100 · Low
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

16 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: Telnet

      Port 23 (Telnet) is publicly accessible - Telnet - Unencrypted remote access

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to Telnet 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
    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: SMB

      Port 445 (SMB) is publicly accessible - SMB - Windows file sharing, high risk

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to SMB 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
    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: MSSQL

      Port 1433 (MSSQL) is publicly accessible - MSSQL - Database server

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to MSSQL 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
    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: Oracle

      Port 1521 (Oracle) is publicly accessible - Oracle - Database server

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to Oracle 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
    • 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

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

Keep watching alternate.de

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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
75
Security headers
55
Email security
75
DNS health
50
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
80
Average
56
After the cap
49

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

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 alternate.de, from OffSeq Breach.

Total records
63,615
Employees
0
Customers
63,530
Third parties
85
Weak passwords
7%

31 subdomains 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 alternate.de.

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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

Alternate GmbH holds a strong market position as an award-winning online retailer in Germany, with a large product catalog exceeding 85,000 items. Their business model includes both B2C and B2B segments, with tailored services for business clients such as personal contacts and flexible payment options. The company emphasizes sustainability through CO2-neutral shipping and maintains multiple certifications and partnerships that enhance trust. Their marketing ecosystem includes social media engagement across major platforms and use of advanced recommendation and consent management tools. The presence of a dedicated B2B domain indicates strategic segmentation. The company’s operations reflect maturity and a focus on customer service excellence.

Security posture

The website exhibits a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced and modern security headers implemented. The use of Usercentrics CMP ensures GDPR-compliant cookie consent management. Forms include CSRF tokens, indicating protection against common web vulnerabilities. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the HTML content. However, the absence of a published security policy or incident response contact reduces transparency in security governance. No security.txt file or explicit vulnerability disclosure program is present. Overall, the security measures are robust for an e-commerce platform but could be enhanced by publishing formal security documentation and incident response channels.

Recommendations

  1. Publish a dedicated security policy page outlining security practices and commitments.
  2. Provide explicit incident response and abuse contact information to improve transparency.
  3. Implement and publish a security.txt file to facilitate responsible vulnerability disclosure.
  4. Include data protection officer contact details if applicable to enhance GDPR compliance.
  5. Regularly review and update third-party scripts and libraries to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Alternate GmbH
Description
ALTERNATE is a leading online retailer offering over 85,000 products including computers, electronics, smart home devices, household appliances, and toys. They emphasize excellent service, fast shipping, and environmental responsibility through a CO2 compensation program.
Key services
Online retail of electronics and technology products, B2B specialized services with personal contacts and tailored offers, PC configuration tools, Newsletter and promotional campaigns
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Jakarta Faces (JSF), Bootstrap 4, FontAwesome, Usercentrics CMP, Epoq recommendation engine, Cloudflare DNS
Frameworks
Jakarta Faces
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Use of Usercentrics CMP for cookie consent
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Secure forms with CSRF tokens (jakarta.faces.ViewState present)

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Tag Manager
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Facebook Pixel, Usercentrics CMP, Epoq
Marketing tools
Usercentrics CMP, Epoq recommendation engine
Transparency
good

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is fully accessible with no blocking or WAF challenges.
  2. Content is rich, professional, and well-structured in German language.
  3. Strong presence of GDPR-compliant cookie consent via Usercentrics.
  4. Multiple social media channels actively linked.
  5. No direct email addresses found in HTML, but contact form and newsletter subscription present.
  6. Use of modern web technologies and frameworks.
  7. Clear business and customer service information in footer and header.
  8. Multiple certifications and awards displayed enhancing trust.
  9. No security.txt or explicit security policy page found.
  10. No incident response or abuse contact information found.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on Jakarta Faces (JSF) framework with Bootstrap 4 for responsive design and FontAwesome for icons. It integrates Usercentrics for cookie consent and Epoq for personalized product recommendations. Hosting and DNS are managed via Cloudflare, providing CDN and security benefits. The site demonstrates fast loading times, excellent mobile optimization, and good accessibility features. SEO is supported by comprehensive meta tags and Open Graph data. The technical stack is modern and well-maintained, supporting a high-quality user experience. Opportunities exist to further modernize by adopting newer frontend frameworks and enhancing security documentation.
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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