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Security report for bsd.network

bsd.network · Technology · Germany

Medium risk. 2 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view.

Security score

71/100

Risk levelMedium

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

bsd.network operates as a niche Mastodon instance with a focus on the *BSD community adjacency and a strong emphasis on social moderation and inclusivity. The platform is invite-only, prioritizing underrepresented groups and fostering a supportive environment. The business model centers on providing a federated social networking service with a small but active user base. Technically, the site leverages the Mastodon platform version 3.5.19+iceage, with modern web technologies including WebSocket support and CDN usage for media assets. The infrastructure appears stable and moderately performant with good mobile optimization. Security posture is adequate with HTTPS enforced and CSRF protections in place, though improvements such as enabling DNSSEC and adding security headers are recommended. Privacy compliance is basic, with a privacy policy and terms of service present but lacking cookie consent mechanisms. Overall, the site is trustworthy and professionally maintained, serving a specialized community with clear governance and moderation policies.

Scanned

This is an earlier scan of bsd.network. View the latest report

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
53/ 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

2 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. 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

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  • TLS certificates and expiry
  • DNS records
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  • 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
95
Security headers
85
Email security
73
DNS health
80
Network security
40
GDPR outside view
53
Average
71

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

bsd.network holds a niche position within the federated social media ecosystem, targeting users interested in *BSD and related communities. Its invite-only model and moderation focus differentiate it from larger, open Mastodon instances. The platform's revenue or monetization model is not explicit, suggesting a community or volunteer-driven approach. The presence of a single administrator and absence of corporate branding indicate a small-scale operation. Partnerships with Mastodon.org and source code hosting on git.sr.ht reflect alignment with open-source and federated social networking principles. Growth is likely organic and community-driven, with a focus on quality over quantity of users.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a moderate security maturity level. HTTPS is properly implemented with integrity checks on scripts, and forms include CSRF tokens to prevent cross-site request forgery. However, the absence of DNSSEC and missing security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options represent gaps that could be exploited. No explicit incident response or security policy is published, and no vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file is present. The invite-only registration and moderation policies contribute positively to security by limiting user base and potential abuse. Overall, the security posture is adequate for a small community platform but could benefit from formalized policies and enhanced technical controls.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to improve DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Implement standard security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
  3. Publish a formal security policy and incident response contact information to improve transparency and readiness.
  4. Add a cookie policy and consent mechanism if cookies are used for tracking or session management.
  5. Consider establishing a vulnerability disclosure program or security.txt file to facilitate responsible reporting.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
bsd.network
Description
bsd.network is a *BSD-adjacent Mastodon Instance. It is a privately-run, heavily moderated social platform focused on inclusivity and kindness, hosting a community of real-life friends and family.
Key services
Mastodon social networking, Federated social media interaction
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Mastodon platform v3.5.19+iceage, JavaScript, SVG graphics, WebSocket (wss://bsd.network), Content Delivery Network (media.bsd.network)
Frameworks
Mastodon, Ruby on Rails (implied)
Platforms
Mastodon federated social network
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
70/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • CSRF tokens present in forms
  • Disabled registration to control user base
  • Use of integrity attributes on scripts

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
basic

Advertising

Transparency
poor

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Site is an invite-only Mastodon instance focused on community and moderation
  2. Registration is disabled due to capacity and social goals
  3. Admin contact is provided via Mastodon profile and email
  4. No cookie consent or explicit privacy banners detected
  5. No security.txt or vulnerability disclosure found
  6. No phone numbers or physical addresses found
  7. Site uses HTTPS with integrity checks on scripts
  8. No advertising or tracking scripts detected
Technical notes

Notes

The site is built on the Mastodon platform version 3.5.19+iceage, likely using Ruby on Rails backend. It uses modern web technologies including WebSocket for streaming, SVG for logos, and a CDN for media assets. The site is mobile-optimized and includes accessibility features at a basic level. Performance is moderate with no major issues detected. The domain uses multiple name servers but lacks DNSSEC. The site does not use a traditional CMS but relies on Mastodon's built-in platform capabilities. There is no evidence of third-party advertising or tracking scripts, indicating a privacy-conscious design. Technical debt appears low, but security enhancements and formal policies could improve the overall robustness.
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. 72/100Medium23 findingsView report
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