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Security report for desec.org

deSEC e.V. · Non-profit · Germany

Medium risk. 3 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view and SSL/TLS.

Security score

70/100

Risk levelMedium

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

deSEC e.V. is a non-profit organization based in Berlin, Germany, providing free, secure DNS hosting services with a strong focus on security and privacy. The service is built on open-source software and supported by reputable partners such as SSE, NLnet Foundation, and RIPE NCC. Their offerings include DNSSEC signing, cloud integrations, a modern web interface, and a REST API, targeting developers, web hosters, and organizations requiring secure DNS solutions. The website demonstrates a mature and professional presence with excellent content quality and user experience. Technically, the site uses modern JavaScript frameworks (Vue.js with Vuetify), supports IPv6, and operates a global Anycast DNS network ensuring high availability and performance. Security-wise, the platform enforces HTTPS, supports multi-factor authentication, and employs state-of-the-art cryptography for DNSSEC, although some improvements like enabling DNSSEC on the domain itself and adding security headers are recommended. Overall, the website is trustworthy, well-maintained, and compliant with GDPR, though it lacks a cookie consent mechanism and explicit security policies. The domain registration is consistent with the organization's profile, enhancing legitimacy.

Scanned

This is an earlier scan of desec.org. 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

3 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

  2. 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

      SSL Certificate Expires Soon

      SSL certificate expires in 27 days

      What to do: Renew SSL certificate before expiration

      • NIS2 21(2)(h)
      • IR 2024/2690 9.2(c): Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690, Annex point 9.2(c): Cryptography
      • NIST SC-17: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SC-17: Public Key Infrastructure Certificates

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

Keep watching desec.org

This scan found 15 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
85
Security headers
85
Email security
70
DNS health
85
Network security
40
GDPR outside view
53
Average
70

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.org, from OffSeq Breach.

No leaked records found

Breach holds no records for desec.org 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

deSEC occupies a niche market in secure DNS hosting with a non-profit business model supported by donations and grants. Its competitive advantage lies in its open-source foundation, strong security posture, and partnerships with established organizations in the internet infrastructure space. The target customers include individual users, developers, and web hosting providers who require secure and modern DNS services. The organization benefits from a global Anycast network and cloud integration tools, facilitating automation and scalability. Funding from EU projects and foundations indicates growth potential and community trust. The partnership ecosystem is robust, involving security experts and internet governance bodies, which strengthens its market position and operational credibility.

Security posture

The security maturity of deSEC is high, with enforced HTTPS, DNSSEC signing for hosted domains, and multi-factor authentication support. The use of modern cryptographic standards and a global Anycast network enhances resilience and security. However, the absence of DNSSEC on the domain itself, lack of security headers, and missing public incident response or vulnerability disclosure policies represent areas for improvement. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the website content. The platform demonstrates a strong security culture but could benefit from formalizing incident response and vulnerability management transparency to further enhance trust and compliance.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC for the desec.io domain to improve domain-level security.
  2. Implement and publish comprehensive security headers such as Content Security Policy (CSP), HSTS, and X-Frame-Options.
  3. Add a publicly accessible security policy and incident response information to improve transparency.
  4. Publish a security.txt file to facilitate responsible vulnerability disclosure.
  5. Introduce a cookie consent mechanism if cookies or tracking technologies are used.

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, Cloud integrations, Modern DNS record support, Web interface and REST API, Multi-factor authentication, Global Anycast DNS network
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
JavaScript (ES modules), Vue.js (Vuetify 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 for hosted domains
  • Multi-factor authentication (TOTP) supported
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of modern cryptography for DNSSEC
  • Low TTL for fast DNS updates

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
excellent

Advertising

Transparency
poor

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is fully accessible with rich content and no blocking detected.
  2. Strong emphasis on security and privacy in DNS hosting.
  3. No cookie consent mechanism found despite GDPR compliance.
  4. No explicit security policy or incident response page found.
  5. No visible analytics or tracking scripts detected.
  6. Multiple reputable partners and supporters listed.
  7. Modern web technologies and responsive design used.
  8. No suspicious or malicious content detected.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built using modern web technologies including Vue.js and Vuetify, providing a responsive and user-friendly interface optimized for mobile devices. The use of ES modules and asynchronous scripts indicates a modern JavaScript stack. The site is hosted with HTTPS and benefits from a global Anycast DNS infrastructure ensuring low latency and high availability. No CMS was detected, suggesting a custom-built platform tailored to the service's needs. Performance is fast, and SEO practices are good with proper meta tags and structured navigation. Accessibility is good, though no explicit ARIA landmarks or roles beyond basic usage were noted. The technical infrastructure aligns well with the organization's security and service goals, though some enhancements in security headers and formal policies would strengthen the overall posture.
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. 74/100Medium21 findingsView report
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