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Security report for ecosia.co

Ecosia GmbH · Technology · Germany

Low risk. 4 critical or high findings in Security headers, GDPR outside view and 1 other check.

Security score

82/100

Risk levelLow

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

Ecosia GmbH operates Ecosia.org, a green search engine dedicated to environmental sustainability by using 100% of its profits to plant trees worldwide. The company positions itself as the largest tree-planting movement via search engine technology, targeting environmentally conscious users globally. Their business model focuses on generating revenue through search advertising and dedicating all profits to climate action projects, with transparent monthly financial reporting to build trust. Technically, the website employs modern JavaScript frameworks (likely Vue.js), integrates Google Tag Manager for analytics, and uses a robust consent management platform (Didomi) to ensure privacy compliance. The site is well-optimized for performance, mobile responsiveness, and accessibility, reflecting a mature digital infrastructure. From a security perspective, Ecosia enforces HTTPS, implements standard security headers, and manages cookie consent effectively. However, explicit security policies, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms are not publicly available, representing areas for improvement. The absence of WHOIS data due to privacy protection is consistent with privacy-conscious business practices and does not detract from the site's legitimacy. Overall, Ecosia.org demonstrates a strong security posture, excellent content quality, and high business credibility, making it a trustworthy platform for users seeking an eco-friendly search engine alternative.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
58/ 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

4 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

    • 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

  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 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

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

Keep watching ecosia.co

This scan found 11 issues across 5 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
75
Security headers
70
Email security
100
DNS health
90
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
58
Average
82

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

Ecosia is strategically positioned in the green technology sector, leveraging search engine technology to fund environmental projects. Its competitive advantage lies in its transparent financial reporting and B-Corporation certification, which enhance credibility. The business model is revenue-driven via search ads, with all profits reinvested into climate action, appealing to a niche but growing market segment of eco-conscious consumers. Partnerships with privacy and advertising platforms support operational efficiency. Growth indicators include a user base of over 20 million and significant funds dedicated to climate action. The company maintains a strong brand presence with consistent messaging and a clear mission.

Security posture

Ecosia exhibits a mature security posture with enforced HTTPS, comprehensive cookie consent mechanisms, and standard security headers. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the analyzed content. However, the lack of publicly available security policies, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure programs suggests room for enhancement in transparency and readiness. GDPR compliance is well addressed through consent management. The security culture appears proactive but could benefit from more explicit communication of security governance.

Recommendations

  1. Publish a dedicated security policy page detailing security governance and controls.
  2. Provide clear incident response contact information, including security@ or abuse@ email addresses.
  3. Implement and publicize a vulnerability disclosure policy or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  4. Enhance contact information availability for business and security inquiries to improve trust and transparency.
  5. Continue to monitor and update third-party libraries and consent mechanisms to maintain compliance and security.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Ecosia GmbH
Description
Ecosia uses 100% of its profits for the planet and produces enough renewable energy to power all searches twice over. It is a green search engine that plants trees worldwide.
Key services
Search engine, Tree planting projects, Financial transparency reports
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
JavaScript, Vue.js (inferred from data-v- attributes), Google Tag Manager, Didomi Consent Management, Privacy Center SDK
Frameworks
Vue.js
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
excellent

Security

Observed score
90/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Consent management for cookies
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Secure forms with autocomplete off

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Tag Manager
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Google DoubleClick
Marketing tools
Google Ads
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 rich content and no blocking detected.
  2. Strong focus on environmental sustainability and transparency.
  3. Comprehensive cookie consent and privacy management implemented.
  4. Use of modern web technologies and frameworks.
  5. No contact emails or phone numbers explicitly listed on main page.
  6. WHOIS data is unavailable, likely due to privacy protection.
  7. B-Corporation certification prominently displayed as trust indicator.
  8. Financial transparency with monthly reports published.
  9. No security.txt or explicit vulnerability disclosure policy found.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on modern JavaScript frameworks, likely Vue.js, with integration of Google Tag Manager and Didomi for analytics and consent management. The site demonstrates fast loading times, excellent mobile optimization, and good accessibility features. SEO is well implemented with proper meta tags and Open Graph data. No CMS or hosting provider was explicitly identified from the content. The technical infrastructure supports a high-quality user experience and aligns with best practices for performance and privacy.
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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