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Security report for desec.io

deSEC e.V. · Technology · Germany

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

Security score

74/100

Risk levelMedium

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

deSEC e.V. is a non-profit organization based in Berlin, Germany, providing a free, secure DNS hosting service designed with security and privacy in mind. The service leverages open-source software and offers advanced DNS features such as DNSSEC signing, multi-factor authentication, and integration with Let's Encrypt. Supported by notable organizations including ICANN, NLnet Foundation, RIPE NCC, and the European Union, deSEC positions itself as a trusted provider in the DNS hosting niche with a focus on security and automation. Technically, the website is built using modern web technologies including Vue.js with the Vuetify UI framework, and offers a REST API for DNS management. The infrastructure includes a global Anycast network for low-latency DNS resolution. The site is mobile-optimized, fast, and accessible, with a professional design and clear navigation. However, some security best practices such as explicit security headers and cookie consent mechanisms are not evident. From a security perspective, deSEC demonstrates strong practices including HTTPS enforcement, DNSSEC usage, and support for multi-factor authentication. The domain registration data is consistent and legitimate, with a long history since 2014. No critical vulnerabilities or suspicious patterns were detected. The absence of a published security policy or incident response page is a minor gap. Overall, deSEC presents a low-risk profile with a strong security posture and credible business model. Strategic recommendations include enabling DNSSEC on the domain itself, adding security headers, publishing a security policy, and implementing cookie consent to enhance compliance and trust.

Scanned

This is an earlier scan of desec.io. 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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Keep watching desec.io

This scan found 13 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.

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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
95
Security headers
85
Email security
83
DNS health
85
Network security
40
GDPR outside view
53
Average
74

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

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 desec.io, from OffSeq Breach.

Total records
653
Employees
0
Customers
653
Third parties
0
Weak passwords
8%

2 subdomains affected

See the 10 newest leaked credentials

A one-off add-on to this report that lists the most recent identifier and password pairs OffSeq Breach holds for desec.io.

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Breach keeps ingesting new leaks, so these numbers can grow between scans.

Technical appendix

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

Business context

Business profile

deSEC operates in the technology sector as a non-profit DNS hosting provider focusing on secure and modern DNS services. Its business model is based on offering free DNS hosting supported by donations and grants, targeting individuals and organizations requiring secure DNS solutions. The company benefits from partnerships with European and global internet governance bodies, enhancing its credibility and market position. The open-source nature and community support provide competitive advantages. Revenue streams likely include grants and donations. The partnership ecosystem includes DNS4EU, Nextcloud, and other technology firms, indicating a collaborative approach to internet security and infrastructure.

Security posture

The security maturity of deSEC is high, with implementation of DNSSEC, HTTPS, multi-factor authentication, and a global Anycast network. The website does not expose sensitive data and uses modern cryptographic standards. However, the lack of explicit security headers and a formal security policy or incident response page indicates room for improvement. GDPR compliance is supported by a comprehensive privacy policy, but cookie consent mechanisms are missing. Incident response readiness is unclear due to absence of dedicated contact channels. Overall, the security culture appears strong but could benefit from formalized documentation and additional controls.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the desec.io domain to fully secure DNS resolution chain.
  2. Implement and publish explicit security headers such as Content Security Policy and HSTS.
  3. Create and publish a formal security policy and incident response page with dedicated contact channels.
  4. Add a cookie consent mechanism to comply fully with GDPR and enhance user privacy transparency.
  5. Continue to maintain and promote open-source transparency and community engagement to strengthen trust.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
deSEC e.V.
Registration number
VR37525 at AG Berlin (Charlottenburg)
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
deSEC e.V.
Description
deSEC is a free DNS hosting service designed with security in mind, running on open-source software and supported by SSE. It is organized as a non-profit organization based in Berlin.
Key services
Free DNS hosting, DNSSEC signing, REST API for DNS management, Multi-factor authentication, Let's Encrypt integration, Global Anycast DNS network
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
JavaScript (ES Modules), Vue.js (Vuetify UI framework), REST API, Anycast DNS, Elliptic-curve cryptography for DNSSEC
Frameworks
Vuetify
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • DNSSEC signing of hosted zones
  • Multi-factor authentication (TOTP)
  • Low TTL for fast DNS updates
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Transparency
poor

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website provides a modern, secure DNS hosting service with strong emphasis on security and open-source principles.
  2. No signs of malicious or suspicious content.
  3. Strong community and institutional support from recognized organizations.
  4. No cookie consent mechanism detected despite GDPR compliance claims.
  5. No explicit security.txt or incident response page found.
Technical notes

Notes

The website uses a modern JavaScript framework (Vue.js) with Vuetify for UI components, ensuring a responsive and accessible design. The REST API enables automation and integration with cloud tools. The global Anycast DNS infrastructure supports high availability and low latency. Performance is fast with no broken elements detected. However, no CMS or hosting provider details are explicitly stated. The site lacks some security headers and cookie consent mechanisms, which are technical debt areas. Overall, the technical implementation is robust and well-suited for the service offered.
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. 70/100 −2Medium23 findingsView report
  2. 72/100Medium22 findingsView report
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