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Security report for arcg.is

Bitly, Inc. · Technology · United States

Low risk. 2 critical or high findings in SSL/TLS and Security headers.

Security score

82/100

Risk levelLow

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

Bitly, Inc. operates a leading SaaS platform specializing in URL shortening, QR code generation, and link management solutions. Established in 2003, Bitly serves a broad business and marketing audience with advanced tools for link customization, tracking, and analytics. The company maintains a strong market position as a trusted technology provider with enterprise-scale capabilities. Technically, the website is built on WordPress with modern JavaScript libraries and integrates multiple analytics and marketing tools, reflecting a mature digital infrastructure. Security posture is robust with HTTPS enforcement, domain protection, and cookie consent mechanisms, though DNSSEC is not enabled and incident response contacts are not explicitly published. Overall, Bitly demonstrates a high level of professionalism, compliance, and technical sophistication, supporting its enterprise clientele effectively.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
100/ 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

2 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. 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

  2. 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 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';…

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Keep watching arcg.is

This scan found 15 issues across 5 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

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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
77
Security headers
45
Email security
85
DNS health
85
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
100
Average
82

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

Technical appendix

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

Business context

Business profile

Bitly's business model centers on SaaS offerings for digital marketing and link management, targeting enterprises, midmarket, and small businesses across various industries including technology, retail, and healthcare. The platform's integrations with partners like HubSpot and Canva enhance its ecosystem and customer value. Revenue streams likely include subscription plans and enterprise licensing. The company exhibits strong branding consistency and trust signals, including social media presence and comprehensive policy disclosures. Growth indicators include continuous product expansion and marketing investments. Strategic partnerships and a well-maintained web presence position Bitly competitively in the link management market.

Security posture

Bitly's security maturity is solid, with HTTPS enforced and domain registration protections in place. The use of cookie consent tools aligns with GDPR compliance. No critical vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the website content. However, the absence of a published security.txt file and explicit incident response contacts suggests room for improvement in transparency and vulnerability management. The platform should consider enabling DNSSEC to strengthen DNS security. Overall, Bitly maintains a secure environment appropriate for its enterprise user base but could enhance its security communication and disclosure practices.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to improve DNS integrity and security.
  2. Publish a security.txt file to facilitate responsible vulnerability disclosure.
  3. Provide clear incident response contact information on the Trust or Security page.
  4. Regularly review and update third-party scripts to mitigate supply chain risks.
  5. Enhance transparency by publishing certifications or compliance attestations.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Bitly, Inc.
Description
Bitly’s Connections Platform is more than a free URL shortener, with robust link management software, advanced QR Code features, and a landing page solution.
Key services
URL Shortener, QR Code Generator, 2D Barcodes, Analytics, Landing Pages, Link Management
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
JavaScript, Snowplow Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Bing Ads, OneTrust Cookie Consent, jQuery
Frameworks
Foundation (CSS framework)
Platforms
WordPress (CMS)
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Domain status includes clientDeleteProhibited and other EPP protections
  • Use of cookie consent management (OneTrust)
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • No outdated or vulnerable libraries detected

Analytics and tracking

Services
Snowplow Analytics, Google Analytics (via GTM), ProfitWell
Tracking level
extensive
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Bing Ads, Google Ads
Tracking pixels
Snowplow Analytics, Bing Ads Pixel, Optimizely
Marketing tools
OneTrust Cookie Consent, ProfitWell
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 rich content and no blocking mechanisms.
  2. Strong use of modern marketing and analytics technologies.
  3. Comprehensive privacy and cookie policies with consent management.
  4. No exposed sensitive data or obvious security vulnerabilities.
  5. WHOIS data supports legitimacy and long-standing domain ownership.
  6. No direct contact emails or phone numbers publicly listed; contact via forms.
  7. No explicit incident response or vulnerability disclosure information found.
Technical notes

Notes

The website leverages a modern technology stack including WordPress CMS, Foundation CSS framework, and JavaScript analytics libraries such as Snowplow and Google Tag Manager. Hosting is via Amazon AWS infrastructure, ensuring scalability and reliability. Performance is optimized with deferred and async script loading and responsive design for mobile devices. SEO and accessibility best practices are observed with proper meta tags, language alternates, and ARIA roles. The technical implementation supports a fast, user-friendly experience with robust tracking and marketing integrations. Opportunities exist to further modernize by enabling DNSSEC and consolidating third-party scripts for security and performance gains.
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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