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Security report for buchs-aargau.ch

Gemeinde Buchs Aargau · Government · Switzerland

Medium risk. 5 critical or high findings in Security headers, GDPR outside view and 2 other checks.

Security score

60/100

Risk levelMedium

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

Gemeinde Buchs Aargau operates as the official municipal government website for the community of Buchs in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. It provides residents and visitors with comprehensive information about local administration, political bodies, community services, cultural events, and online services. The website targets local citizens and stakeholders, offering a centralized platform for municipal engagement and information dissemination. The business model is public service-oriented, focusing on transparency and accessibility. Technically, the website is built on the GOViS eGovernment CMS platform, utilizing modern JavaScript libraries such as jQuery, Swiper.js, and Font Awesome for UI enhancements. The site demonstrates good mobile optimization, accessibility, and SEO practices, ensuring a positive user experience across devices. Performance is moderate, with room for optimization. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and employs a cookie consent mechanism compliant with GDPR. While some security headers are implied, explicit Content Security Policy and other headers could be improved. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected. The use of Matomo analytics respects user privacy with consent and defined data retention. Overall, the website presents a trustworthy and professional digital presence for the municipality. Strategic recommendations include enhancing security headers, publishing a formal security policy, and maintaining up-to-date third-party libraries to further strengthen security posture and compliance.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
68/ 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 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

  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
    • High

      Weak SSL Key Length

      SSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak

      What to do: Use at least 2048-bit RSA or 256-bit ECC key

      • CWE-326
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • Mozilla TLS: Mozilla Server Side TLS 6.0 intermediate: rsa_key_size 2048

  4. Network security

    Services reachable from the internet are the first thing attackers probe. Anything open that does not need to be should be closed.

    • High

      High-Risk Service Exposed: FTP

      Port 21 (FTP) is publicly accessible - FTP - Often unencrypted file transfer

      What to do: Consider restricting access to FTP or implementing strong authentication

      • 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 buchs-aargau.ch

This scan found 21 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

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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
42
Security headers
75
Email security
70
DNS health
85
Network security
20
GDPR outside view
68
Average
60

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

The municipality of Buchs AG holds a stable position as a local government authority serving a small community of approximately 8,500 residents. Its competitive advantage lies in providing transparent, accessible, and comprehensive public services through a well-structured digital platform. Revenue streams are typical of public sector entities, funded by local taxes and government budgets. The target customer segment includes residents, local businesses, and visitors seeking municipal information and services. Growth indicators include active community engagement via events and projects showcased on the site. The partnership ecosystem includes cultural organizations and regional service providers. Strategic observations highlight a focus on digital accessibility and community-oriented content delivery.

Security posture

The current security maturity level is good, with HTTPS enforced and a robust cookie consent mechanism in place. The absence of explicit security headers such as Content Security Policy and X-Frame-Options represents an area for improvement. No exposed sensitive information or vulnerable libraries were identified, indicating sound maintenance practices. Compliance with GDPR is evident through privacy policies and consent management. Incident response readiness is not explicitly documented, suggesting an opportunity to formalize security policies and contact channels. Overall, the security culture appears proactive but could benefit from enhanced transparency and documentation.

Recommendations

  1. Implement explicit Content Security Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options headers to strengthen browser security.
  2. Publish a formal security policy and incident response contact information to improve transparency and readiness.
  3. Regularly update all third-party libraries and frameworks to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
  4. Enhance performance optimization to improve loading speed and user experience.
  5. Continue to monitor and refine privacy compliance mechanisms in line with evolving regulations.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Gemeinde Buchs Aargau
Description
Official municipal website providing information about local administration, politics, society, economy, culture, events, and services for the community of Buchs in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland.
Key services
Municipal administration, Political information, Community services, Event calendar, Online service portal
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
jQuery 3.7.1, Swiper.js, Font Awesome 4.7.0, Magnific Popup 1.1.0, GOViS CMS
Frameworks
GOViS eGovernment CMS
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
80/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Cookie consent with opt-in/out
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of secure cookies

Analytics and tracking

Services
Matomo
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Matomo
Marketing tools
Matomo analytics
Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is a well-maintained official municipal site for Buchs AG, Switzerland.
  2. Comprehensive cookie consent and privacy policy in German language.
  3. No terms of service page detected.
  4. Contact information is clearly provided with official email and phone numbers.
  5. Use of modern JavaScript libraries and GOViS CMS platform.
  6. No signs of suspicious or malicious content.
  7. Matomo analytics used with user consent.
  8. Good mobile and accessibility features.
  9. No security.txt or explicit security policy found.
Technical notes

Notes

The website leverages a modern technology stack centered around the GOViS CMS platform, supported by widely used JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and Swiper.js for interactive elements. The use of Font Awesome provides consistent iconography. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible, with semantic HTML and ARIA attributes for navigation clarity. Performance is moderate, with potential gains achievable through optimization of image assets and script loading. No critical technical debt or outdated technologies were detected, indicating a well-maintained infrastructure. Hosting details are not explicitly disclosed, but the site uses HTTPS with a good SSL configuration.
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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