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Security report for groups.io

Groups.io, Inc. · Technology · United States

Medium risk. 2 critical or high findings in Security headers and SSL/TLS.

Security score

75/100

Risk levelMedium

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

Groups.io, Inc. operates a mature and well-established email group and listserv alternative platform, founded in 2010. The company targets a broad audience ranging from small clubs to large organizations, offering a comprehensive suite of collaboration tools integrated with email discussion lists. Positioned as a privacy-first and ad-free alternative to Google Groups and Yahoo Groups, Groups.io emphasizes user privacy and data protection. The platform supports large-scale communities with advanced moderation and integration capabilities. Technically, the website uses modern JavaScript libraries, Bootstrap for responsive design, and custom-built infrastructure, delivering a fast and accessible user experience. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enforced and domain transfer protections, though DNSSEC is not enabled and some security headers are missing. Privacy compliance is strong with clear policies and cookie consent mechanisms. Overall, the website and business demonstrate high professionalism and trustworthiness.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
95/ 100 · Low
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. 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

  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

      Weak Protocols Supported

      Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

      What to do: Disable TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, and all SSL versions

      • CWE-327
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V12.1.1

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

Keep watching groups.io

This scan found 22 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

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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
72
Security headers
45
Email security
60
DNS health
75
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
95
Average
75

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

Groups.io holds a competitive position in the email group services market by focusing on privacy, scalability, and integrated collaboration features. Its subscription-based business model includes Free, Premium, and Enterprise plans, catering to diverse customer segments. The presence of reputable customers such as the United Nations and Linux Foundation enhances credibility. The company leverages partnerships and integrations with platforms like Slack and GitHub to extend functionality. Growth indicators include over 6,000 migrated groups and active community engagement. The company maintains a consistent brand and clear messaging emphasizing privacy and user control, which differentiates it from ad-supported competitors.

Security posture

The security maturity level of Groups.io is moderate to high. The use of HTTPS and clientTransferProhibited domain status are positive indicators. However, the absence of DNSSEC and lack of published security policies or incident response contacts represent areas for improvement. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the website content. The platform avoids tracking and advertising, aligning with privacy best practices. Incident response readiness and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms are not publicly documented, which could impact trust for security-conscious customers. Overall, the security posture supports business operations but would benefit from enhanced transparency and technical controls.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to improve DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Publish a formal security policy and incident response contact information on the website.
  3. Implement and report standard security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options.
  4. Establish a vulnerability disclosure program and publish a security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  5. Consider adding clear phone contact information or live support channels to improve customer trust and responsiveness.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Groups.io, Inc.
Description
Groups.io is the ultimate group email service and modern listserv replacement for teams of any size. It offers email discussion lists with integrated collaboration tools such as calendars, files, wikis, chat, databases, and analytics, all ad-free and privacy-focused.
Key services
Email discussion groups, Calendars, File storage, Wikis, Chat, Databases, Group analytics, Migration services
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
JavaScript, jQuery, TinyMCE, Video.js, Bootstrap, HTMX
Frameworks
Bootstrap
Performance
fast
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
80/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • ClientTransferProhibited domain status
  • No tracking or ads
  • Cookie consent banner implemented

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
excellent

Advertising

Transparency
excellent

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 privacy-first messaging and no ads or tracking detected.
  3. Comprehensive feature set for email groups and collaboration.
  4. Good use of modern web technologies and responsive design.
  5. No direct phone contact information found; only email support.
  6. No explicit security policy or incident response info published.
  7. No vulnerability disclosure or security.txt found.
  8. WHOIS data is consistent and domain is well-established.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a modern technology stack including JavaScript, jQuery, TinyMCE, Video.js, and Bootstrap, providing a responsive and user-friendly interface. The use of HTMX indicates progressive enhancement for dynamic content loading. Performance is fast with good SEO and accessibility basics in place. The site is custom-built rather than using a common CMS, which may reduce attack surface but requires ongoing maintenance. No major technical debt or deprecated libraries were detected. Opportunities exist to improve security headers and DNS security. The site is mobile-optimized and well-structured, supporting a positive user experience and scalability.
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. 70/100Medium33 findingsView report
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