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Security report for cube-five.de

Cube 5 · Technology · Germany

High risk. 9 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view, Network security and 1 other check.

Security score

42/100

Risk levelHigh

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

Cube 5 is a technology-focused startup accelerator and incubator based in Germany, affiliated with Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Horst-Goertz-Institute for IT Security. The organization specializes in supporting startups in cybersecurity and future communication technologies such as 6G by providing access to government funding programs, coaching, and a strong network of research institutions and investors. Their business model centers on facilitating sustainable success for innovative startups through tailored programs like sCUBE, preCUBE, inCUBE, and xCUBE. The website reflects a professional and well-structured digital presence with clear navigation and comprehensive content targeting technology entrepreneurs. Technically, the website is built on modern frameworks including Next.js and React, hosted on Hetzner servers, and uses Matomo for analytics, indicating a mature digital infrastructure. The site is optimized for performance, mobile responsiveness, and SEO, with a clean and consistent branding approach. Security-wise, the site enforces HTTPS and follows good practices, although explicit security headers and a cookie consent mechanism are not clearly present. No critical vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected. Overall, Cube 5 demonstrates a strong security posture and business credibility, with transparent contact information and trust signals such as government affiliations and social media presence. The absence of a cookie consent banner and explicit security policies are areas for improvement. The domain registration and hosting align well with the organization's academic and governmental ties, supporting legitimacy and trustworthiness.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
28/ 100 · High
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

9 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.

    • Critical

      EU business without adequate privacy measures

      EU businesses are subject to strict GDPR requirements

      What to do: Implement comprehensive GDPR compliance including privacy policy, cookie consent, and data protection measures

  2. 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: 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
    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: PostgreSQL

      Port 5432 (PostgreSQL) is publicly accessible - PostgreSQL - Database server

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to PostgreSQL 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

  3. 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 Strict-Transport-Security header

      Forces HTTPS connections

      What to do: Add "Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload"

      • CWE-319
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V3.4.1
    • High

      Missing X-Frame-Options header

      Prevents clickjacking attacks

      What to do: Add "X-Frame-Options: DENY" or "X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN"

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

Keep watching cube-five.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
80
Security headers
15
Email security
70
DNS health
60
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
28
Average
42

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 cube-five.de, from OffSeq Breach.

No leaked records found

Breach holds no records for cube-five.de right now. New leaks arrive continuously, so monitoring on Breach alerts you if that changes.

Monitor on Breach (opens in a new tab)

Technical appendix

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

Business context

Business profile

Cube 5 occupies a strategic position in the German technology startup ecosystem, focusing on cybersecurity and next-generation communication technologies. Their competitive advantage lies in direct access to government funding initiatives (StartUpSecure and StartUpConnect) and a robust network of research and investment partners. The business model is service-oriented, providing coaching, workshops, and networking opportunities to startups at various stages. Revenue streams likely include government grants and program funding. The target customer segments are early-stage and growth-stage startups in IT security and communications. Growth indicators include a high success rate (97%) and significant funding amounts managed (13 million Euros). The partnership ecosystem includes Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Horst-Goertz-Institute, and federal ministries, enhancing credibility and reach.

Security posture

Cube 5's website security posture is solid, with HTTPS enforced and no visible exposure of sensitive data or vulnerable libraries. The use of Matomo analytics suggests a privacy-conscious approach compared to mainstream trackers. However, the lack of explicit security headers like X-Frame-Options and X-Content-Type-Options, and the absence of a published security policy or incident response contact, represent gaps in transparency and readiness. GDPR compliance is supported by a comprehensive privacy policy, but the missing cookie consent mechanism could pose compliance risks. Incident response readiness and vulnerability disclosure practices are not publicly documented, which could impact trust from security-conscious stakeholders.

Recommendations

  1. Implement a visible cookie consent banner to comply with GDPR and enhance user trust.
  2. Publish a dedicated security policy page outlining security practices and incident response procedures.
  3. Add explicit security headers such as X-Frame-Options and X-Content-Type-Options to strengthen browser security.
  4. Consider publishing a vulnerability disclosure policy or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  5. Regularly audit and update third-party libraries and tracking tools to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Registration number
Chamber of Commerce
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Cube 5
Description
Cube 5 supports technology-based startups and entrepreneurs in IT security and future communication technologies such as 6G by providing funding programs, coaching, and a strong network.
Key services
Funding program access, Coaching and workshops, Networking with research institutions and investors, Startup support programs (sCUBE, preCUBE, inCUBE, xCUBE)
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Next.js, React, Font Awesome 6, Matomo Analytics
Frameworks
Next.js
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • No visible vulnerable libraries
  • Secure forms with no suspicious inputs

Analytics and tracking

Services
Matomo
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Matomo
Marketing tools
Calendly
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 professionally presented with clear focus on supporting tech startups in cybersecurity and 6G.
  3. Strong affiliation with Ruhr-Universität Bochum and German federal funding programs.
  4. No visible privacy or security policy pages beyond data privacy.
  5. No cookie consent banner detected despite use of tracking (Matomo).
  6. Multiple startup profiles and event listings indicate active engagement in the startup ecosystem.
  7. Social media presence on LinkedIn and Instagram supports brand trust.
  8. Use of modern web technologies and good SEO practices.
  9. No signs of suspicious or malicious content.
Technical notes

Notes

The website leverages a modern technology stack including Next.js and React, ensuring server-side rendering and good SEO performance. Hosting on Hetzner provides reliable infrastructure. The site uses Font Awesome 6 for icons and Matomo for analytics, indicating a preference for privacy-respecting tools. Performance is optimized with preloading and responsive images. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible, with semantic HTML and ARIA attributes for navigation. No technical debt or deprecated technologies were detected. Opportunities exist to enhance security headers and implement cookie consent mechanisms to align with best practices.
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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