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Security report for dataverse.nl

Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · Education · Netherlands

Medium risk. 5 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view, Security headers and 1 other check.

Security score

73/100

Risk levelMedium

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

DataverseNL is a well-established Dutch research data repository platform managed by Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) and supported by multiple academic institutions. It provides researchers with tools to store, share, and publish research data in compliance with FAIR principles, offering persistent identifiers and long-term preservation. The platform leverages institutional authentication via SURFconext and supports institutional dataverses aligned with research data management policies. Technically, the website is built on Jakarta Faces with PrimeFaces, jQuery, and Bootstrap, hosted on Dutch infrastructure with DNSSEC enabled. The platform shows moderate performance and good mobile optimization, though some accessibility and SEO improvements are possible. Analytics are implemented via internal DANS statistics and a Freshworks widget for support. Security posture is solid with HTTPS and DNSSEC, but session management via URL parameters and lack of advanced security headers like CSP are areas for improvement. Privacy compliance is strong with a comprehensive privacy policy and GDPR adherence, though no cookie consent mechanism was detected. The business credibility is high, supported by institutional backing, CoreTrustSeal certification, and clear contact mechanisms. Overall, DataverseNL presents a trustworthy, professional service with minor technical and security enhancements recommended to further strengthen its posture and user trust.

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

5 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

    • 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

  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 X-Frame-Options header

      Prevents clickjacking attacks

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

  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

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

Keep watching dataverse.nl

This scan found 19 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

Email alerts on material changes and an exportable JSON history of every change.

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Full report

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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
67
Security headers
80
Email security
85
DNS health
75
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
28
Average
73

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

DataverseNL occupies a strong position in the Dutch academic research data management ecosystem, serving as a shared service platform for multiple institutions. Its competitive advantage lies in institutional partnerships, integration with SURFconext for authentication, and compliance with FAIR data principles. The business model is non-profit and service-oriented, focusing on long-term preservation and accessibility of research data. Revenue streams likely come from institutional contributions and government funding. The platform targets researchers and academic institutions, with growth potential tied to increasing data management requirements and open science mandates. Partnerships with DANS, KNAW, and NWO reinforce its strategic position and credibility.

Security posture

The security maturity of DataverseNL is moderate to good. HTTPS and DNSSEC provide foundational protections, and the platform includes CAPTCHA-like validation on contact forms to prevent abuse. However, session IDs in URLs present a potential session fixation risk, and the absence of modern security headers such as Content Security Policy reduces defense-in-depth. There is no publicly visible vulnerability disclosure or incident response policy, which could hinder rapid response to security events. Privacy policies are comprehensive and GDPR compliant, indicating a strong data protection culture. Overall, the platform is secure for its purpose but would benefit from enhanced session management, security headers, and formalized incident response documentation.

Recommendations

  1. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) and other security headers (X-Frame-Options, X-XSS-Protection) to enhance browser security.
  2. Avoid exposing session IDs in URLs; use secure cookies with HttpOnly and Secure flags for session management.
  3. Publish a security.txt file and a clear vulnerability disclosure policy to improve transparency and incident response readiness.
  4. Introduce a cookie consent banner/mechanism to comply fully with privacy regulations and improve user trust.
  5. Enhance accessibility features and SEO optimization to improve usability and discoverability.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)
Description
DataverseNL is an online platform for storage, sharing, and publishing of research data, provided as a shared service by participating institutes and DANS. It facilitates FAIR data principles and supports institutional dataverses with persistent identifiers and long-term preservation.
Key services
Research data storage, Data sharing and publishing, Persistent identifiers (DOI), Institutional dataverse hosting, Long-term data preservation
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Jakarta Faces, PrimeFaces, jQuery, Bootstrap 3.4.1, Select2, Freshworks Widget
Frameworks
Jakarta EE (Faces), PrimeFaces
Platforms
Web (browser-based)
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
basic

Security

Observed score
75/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced (implied by domain and scripts)
  • DNSSEC enabled
  • Use of session IDs in URLs (jsessionid) - potential risk
  • No exposed sensitive data detected
  • Contact form includes CAPTCHA-like human validation

Analytics and tracking

Services
DANS internal stats (danstats.js)
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Freshworks Widget
Marketing tools
Freshworks Widget
Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is a professionally maintained research data repository platform.
  2. Content is comprehensive and targeted at academic researchers and institutions.
  3. Use of institutional login via SURFconext supports secure access.
  4. No signs of malicious or suspicious activity detected.
  5. Some minor security improvements recommended regarding session management and security headers.
Technical notes

Notes

The website uses a mature Java EE stack with Jakarta Faces and PrimeFaces, combined with jQuery and Bootstrap for UI components. Hosting is managed by DANS with DNSSEC enabled, indicating a secure DNS setup. Performance is moderate with room for optimization, especially in modernizing frontend assets and improving mobile responsiveness. The use of session IDs in URLs is a technical debt and security risk. Analytics and support widgets are integrated but limited to internal and Freshworks services. Overall, the technical infrastructure is stable and appropriate for the service scope but could benefit from modernization and enhanced security 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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