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Security report for esf.hr

Europski socijalni fond · Government · Croatia

High risk. 9 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view, Network security and 2 other checks.

Security score

44/100

Risk levelHigh

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

The website www.esf.hr serves as the official Croatian government portal for the European Social Fund (ESF), focusing on the development of human potentials through various social, employment, education, and governance projects. It provides comprehensive information about funding calls, project examples, and relevant documentation, targeting civil society organizations, cultural institutions, and social service providers. The site is well-positioned as a trusted government resource with consistent branding and clear navigation. Technically, the site is built on WordPress 5.1.19 with a modern tech stack including jQuery, Google Analytics, and SEO plugins. It demonstrates good mobile optimization and accessibility features, although performance is moderate. The hosting appears to be managed by CARNET, a Croatian academic network, aligning with the official nature of the site. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with a good SSL configuration but lacks advanced security headers and explicit security or incident response policies. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected. Privacy compliance is partially addressed with a privacy policy and cookie notice, but lacks a full consent mechanism. Contact information is limited to a physical address without direct email or phone contacts. Overall, the website is a reliable and professional government platform with a strong business credibility score. Strategic improvements could focus on enhancing security headers, implementing cookie consent, and publishing security policies to strengthen trust and compliance.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
25/ 100 · Critical
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

  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"

    • 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';…

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Keep watching esf.hr

This scan found 26 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
62
Security headers
15
Email security
85
DNS health
75
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
25
Average
44

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

Technical appendix

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

Business context

Business profile

The website operates as a governmental information portal for the European Social Fund in Croatia, facilitating transparency and access to EU-funded social and employment projects. Its market position is authoritative within the Croatian public sector, serving NGOs, cultural organizations, and public institutions. The business model is non-commercial, focusing on information dissemination and project facilitation. Revenue streams are not applicable as it is government-funded. The partnership ecosystem includes multiple Croatian ministries and EU bodies, enhancing its credibility and reach. Growth indicators include ongoing updates and new program promotions. The site supports strategic government objectives in social inclusion and workforce development.

Security posture

The security maturity level is moderate with HTTPS enforced and no visible vulnerabilities or sensitive data leaks. However, the absence of security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and lack of incident response contact details indicate room for improvement. GDPR compliance is partially met with a privacy policy and cookie notice but lacks explicit consent mechanisms. No evidence of malware or phishing was found. The site would benefit from formalizing security policies and incident response procedures to enhance readiness and user trust.

Recommendations

  1. Implement comprehensive security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, and X-Frame-Options.
  2. Add a cookie consent mechanism to comply fully with GDPR requirements.
  3. Publish explicit security and incident response policies with contact channels for reporting issues.
  4. Regularly update WordPress core and plugins to mitigate vulnerabilities.
  5. Enhance contact information by adding official support emails and phone numbers for user assistance.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
Ministarstvo rada, mirovinskoga sustava, obitelji i socijalne politike
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Europski socijalni fond
Description
Europski socijalni fond (ESF) website focused on development of human potentials, providing information about projects, calls for proposals, and operational programs related to employment, social inclusion, education, and good governance in Croatia.
Key services
Information dissemination about ESF projects and calls, Project examples and documentation, News and event announcements
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
jQuery 3.5.1, Google Analytics, Yoast SEO plugin, Responsive Lightbox, Content Views plugin, Tailored ESF Newsletter plugin, Fotorama slider
Frameworks
WordPress 5.1.19
Platforms
WordPress CMS
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
80/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of modern JS libraries

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
basic

Advertising

Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is an official Croatian government platform for the European Social Fund.
  2. Content is comprehensive and well-structured with clear navigation.
  3. No signs of malicious or suspicious activity.
  4. Uses standard WordPress CMS with common plugins.
  5. No visible contact emails or phone numbers on main pages; contact info limited to physical address.
  6. No explicit cookie consent mechanism despite cookie notice.
  7. No visible security policy or incident response information.
  8. Good SEO and accessibility features implemented.
Technical notes

Notes

The website uses a WordPress CMS platform with several plugins for SEO, accessibility, newsletter management, and image galleries. The tech stack includes jQuery 3.5.1 and Google Analytics for tracking. The site is mobile optimized with responsive design and accessibility features such as font size adjustment and high contrast modes. Performance is moderate, likely due to multiple external scripts and plugins. The hosting provider is inferred as CARNET, a reputable Croatian academic network. Technical risks include potential outdated WordPress version (5.1.19) and plugins which may require updates to reduce security risks.
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. 44/100High33 findingsView report
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