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Security report for bitly.com

Bitly, Inc. · Technology · United States

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

Security score

82/100

Risk levelLow

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

Bitly, Inc. operates a leading technology platform specializing in URL shortening, QR code generation, and link management services. Established in 2003, Bitly has positioned itself as a trusted SaaS provider for businesses and marketers seeking to optimize digital engagement through customized links, analytics, and landing pages. The platform supports a broad range of industries and integrates with major marketing tools such as HubSpot and Canva, enhancing its market reach and utility. Technically, Bitly employs a modern infrastructure leveraging WordPress CMS, AWS hosting, and advanced analytics tools including Snowplow and ProfitWell, ensuring robust performance and scalability. Security posture is strong with HTTPS enforcement, domain protection statuses, and cookie consent mechanisms, although enabling DNSSEC and publishing a security.txt file would further enhance security transparency. Overall, Bitly demonstrates a mature digital presence with excellent content quality, user experience, and compliance adherence, making it a reliable and professional service provider in its domain.

Scanned

This is an earlier scan of bitly.com. View the latest report

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. 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';…

  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

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

Keep watching bitly.com

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 market positioning as a premier link management platform is supported by its comprehensive product suite and strategic integrations. Its business model focuses on SaaS subscriptions with tiered plans, including free and enterprise options, targeting marketers, developers, and businesses of all sizes. The company benefits from a large, established user base and a strong brand presence reinforced by consistent branding and active social media engagement. Revenue streams likely include subscription fees, enterprise licensing, and value-added services such as analytics and custom branding. The partnership ecosystem with platforms like HubSpot and Canva enhances its competitive advantage by embedding Bitly's services into broader marketing workflows. Growth indicators include continuous feature expansion, multilingual support, and a dedicated Trust Center emphasizing transparency and compliance.

Security posture

Bitly exhibits a high level of security maturity with enforced HTTPS, domain status protections preventing unauthorized transfers or deletions, and a comprehensive cookie consent framework aligned with GDPR requirements. The use of reputable analytics and marketing tools is balanced with privacy considerations, and no exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the analysis. However, the absence of a published security.txt file and explicit incident response contact channels represents a minor gap in security transparency and readiness. The platform's security best practices and compliance efforts position it well to manage risks associated with its SaaS operations, though continuous monitoring and enhancements are recommended to maintain resilience against evolving threats.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to strengthen DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Publish a security.txt file at the root domain to facilitate responsible vulnerability disclosure.
  3. Provide explicit incident response contact information, such as security@ or abuse@ email addresses.
  4. Consider obtaining and displaying recognized security certifications to enhance trust.
  5. Maintain and regularly update privacy and cookie policies to reflect evolving regulations and practices.
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, Branded Links, Mobile Links, UTM Campaigns, Digital Business Cards
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
JavaScript, Snowplow Analytics, Google Tag Manager, OneTrust Consent Management, ProfitWell, AWS DNS, Google Domains DNS
Frameworks
Foundation (CSS framework)
Platforms
WordPress (CMS)
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
excellent

Security

Observed score
90/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • ClientDeleteProhibited domain status
  • Cookie consent banner implemented
  • No exposed sensitive data detected
  • Secure forms with no visible vulnerabilities

Analytics and tracking

Services
Snowplow Analytics, Google Analytics, ProfitWell
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Bing Ads
Tracking pixels
Snowplow Analytics, ProfitWell
Marketing tools
OneTrust Consent Management
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 professional design.
  2. Strong focus on link management and QR code solutions for businesses.
  3. Comprehensive privacy and cookie policies with consent mechanisms.
  4. Use of modern analytics and marketing technologies.
  5. No signs of suspicious or malicious activity.
  6. Domain registration data supports business legitimacy.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on WordPress CMS with a modern front-end leveraging Foundation CSS framework and multiple JavaScript libraries for analytics and user interaction tracking. Hosting is managed via AWS Cloudfront CDN and Google Domains DNS, providing robust performance and global reach. The site demonstrates excellent mobile optimization and accessibility features, with well-structured metadata including Open Graph and JSON-LD for SEO benefits. The presence of multiple analytics and marketing scripts indicates a mature digital marketing strategy, balanced by a comprehensive cookie consent mechanism. Technical risks are minimal, with no detected vulnerabilities or outdated components, though enabling DNSSEC and improving incident response transparency would further reduce risk exposure.
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. 80/100 +1Low24 findingsView report
  2. 79/100Low25 findingsView report
  3. 79/100Low22 findingsView report
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