Skip to main content

Security report for ficsa.org

FICSA · Government · Switzerland

High risk. 9 critical or high findings in Network security, Security headers and 2 other checks.

Security score

49/100

Risk levelHigh

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

FICSA is a well-established federation representing international civil servants, advocating for their rights and working conditions within interagency bodies and legislative organs of the common system. The organization operates primarily as a non-profit entity based in Switzerland, with a global membership and over 70 years of history. Their key services include advocacy, training, webinars, publications, and organizing meetings and councils. The website reflects a professional and consistent brand image with clear navigation and relevant content targeted at international civil servants and related stakeholders. Technically, the website is built on TYPO3 CMS and leverages modern web technologies such as jQuery, Slick Carousel, and Select2. It uses Google Fonts and integrates social media SDKs for Facebook and Twitter, alongside AddThis for sharing. The site is mobile-optimized with good SEO and accessibility basics, though there is room for improvement in accessibility compliance. Performance is moderate, with no critical technical issues detected. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and employs domain transfer protection. However, DNSSEC is not enabled, and there is no visible security policy or incident response information. The site includes a cookie consent mechanism and privacy policy, indicating basic GDPR compliance. No critical vulnerabilities or suspicious domains were found. WHOIS data confirms the domain's legitimacy and long-standing registration consistent with the organization's profile. Overall, the website presents a trustworthy and credible digital presence with good content quality and technical implementation. Strategic recommendations include enabling DNSSEC, publishing a security policy and incident response contacts, and enhancing accessibility features to improve compliance and user experience.

Scanned

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

9 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. 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
    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: PostgreSQL

      Port 5432 (PostgreSQL) is publicly accessible - PostgreSQL - Database server

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to PostgreSQL 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

  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 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';…

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

Keep watching ficsa.org

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.

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.

Billed monthly to your card. Cancel anytime. The full timeline opens with your unlock code.

Full report

€39.90one-time

  • The complete analysis as a PDF you can cite
  • Email delivery with an unlock code
  • Lifetime access to this report

Prices incl. 21% VAT. Secure checkout by Mollie; sold by SEQ SIA, Latvia.

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
72
Security headers
30
Email security
70
DNS health
70
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
53
Average
49

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

FICSA holds a strong market position as a federation representing international civil servants worldwide. Its competitive advantage lies in its long history, global membership, and comprehensive advocacy and training services. The business model is non-profit, focusing on member services, advocacy, and knowledge dissemination. Revenue streams likely include membership fees, donations, and training fees. The target customer segments are international civil servants, staff associations, and unions within the UN and related organizations. Growth indicators include active event scheduling, online sessions, and continuous publication updates. The partnership ecosystem includes collaboration with international organizations and training centers. The organization's operations and market presence are stable and credible, supported by consistent branding and transparent contact information.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a moderate security maturity level with HTTPS enforced and domain transfer protection in place. The absence of DNSSEC is a minor gap that could be addressed to enhance DNS security. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected. The site lacks a published security policy, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms, which are important for transparency and readiness. GDPR compliance is basic, supported by privacy and cookie policies with consent mechanisms. The security culture appears cautious but could benefit from formalizing policies and improving user data protection practices. Overall, the security posture is adequate for the organization's profile but has room for improvement in policy transparency and DNS security.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to strengthen DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Publish a comprehensive security policy and incident response contact information on the website.
  3. Implement a vulnerability disclosure program or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  4. Enhance website accessibility features to meet higher compliance standards and improve user experience.
  5. Regularly review and update privacy and cookie policies to maintain GDPR compliance and transparency.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
FICSA
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
FICSA
Description
FICSA represents the interests and defends the rights of international civil servants in interagency bodies and legislative organs of the common system.
Key services
Advocacy for international civil servants, Training and workshops, Webinars and online sessions, Publications and communications, Organizing meetings and councils
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
TYPO3 CMS, jQuery, Slick Carousel, Select2, Fancybox, Google Fonts, Facebook SDK, Twitter Widgets, AddThis
Frameworks
TYPO3 CMS
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
75/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • ClientTransferProhibited domain status
  • No exposed emails in raw form (emails obfuscated)
  • Cookie consent mechanism present

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
basic

Advertising

Ad networks
AddThis
Tracking pixels
Google Analytics (gtag.js)
Marketing tools
AddThis, Google Fonts
Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is fully accessible with no blocking or WAF challenges
  2. Content is professionally presented with clear navigation and structure
  3. Use of modern web technologies and CMS (TYPO3)
  4. Presence of privacy and cookie policies with consent mechanism
  5. No visible terms of service or explicit security policy
  6. WHOIS data supports legitimacy and long-standing presence
  7. Social media presence on major platforms with official links
  8. No suspicious or malicious external domains detected
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on TYPO3 CMS, a mature and extensible content management system suitable for complex organizational sites. The tech stack includes modern JavaScript libraries such as jQuery, Slick Carousel for sliders, Select2 for enhanced select boxes, and Fancybox for media display. Integration with social media SDKs and Google Fonts enhances user engagement and design. Performance is moderate, with multiple CSS and JS assets compressed and loaded asynchronously. The site is mobile-optimized with responsive design elements. Technical risks are low, but the absence of DNSSEC and lack of explicit hosting provider information could be areas for further investigation. Overall, the infrastructure supports the organization's needs with opportunities for modernization and security enhancements.
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

Reviews of this site

Share your experience with ficsa.org. Every review is verified by email and published after moderation.

Overall rating
Select a rating
4000 characters remaining

We’ll email you to confirm your review and keep your details private.

Community rating

No published reviews yet. Be the first to review ficsa.org.

Feedback on this report

Rate this report, add an optional comment, and tell us if you want a security specialist to follow up.

Overall report quality
Select a rating
2000 characters remaining

We only use your feedback to improve Guard reports. Contact details are never shared.