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Security report for homeaway.com

Vrbo · Real Estate · United States

Medium risk. 7 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view, SSL/TLS and 1 other check.

Security score

57/100

Risk levelMedium

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

Vrbo is a leading vacation rental platform that connects homeowners with travelers seeking unique accommodations beyond traditional hotels. With over 2 million rentals worldwide and a strong presence in the US market, Vrbo offers a wide variety of property types including condos, cabins, beach houses, and more. The platform emphasizes secure online payments and 24/7 customer service, enhancing user trust and satisfaction. Technically, the website leverages modern frameworks like React and GraphQL, ensuring a fast, responsive, and accessible user experience across devices. The integration of advanced analytics and marketing tools indicates a mature digital infrastructure focused on optimization and user engagement. Security measures are robust, with HTTPS enforcement and comprehensive security headers, though no explicit public security policies or incident response contacts were found. Overall, Vrbo demonstrates a high level of professionalism, technical sophistication, and market credibility, making it a trustworthy platform for vacation rentals.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
10/ 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

7 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

      No HTTPS encryption

      GDPR requires appropriate security measures for personal data

      What to do: Implement SSL/TLS certificate for HTTPS

    • High

      No Privacy Policy found

      GDPR requires a clear and accessible privacy policy

      What to do: Add a comprehensive privacy policy page and link to it prominently

    • 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

  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.

    • Critical

      No HTTPS Encryption

      Website does not use HTTPS encryption, making all data transmission vulnerable to interception

      What to do: Implement SSL/TLS certificate and redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS

  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 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 homeaway.com

This scan found 17 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
0
Security headers
60
Email security
85
DNS health
85
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
10
Average
57

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

Vrbo operates as an essential entity in the real estate and hospitality sectors, functioning as an online marketplace for vacation home rentals. It targets families and vacationers looking for diverse rental options, offering a broad portfolio of properties globally. The business benefits from its association with Expedia Group, leveraging a strong brand ecosystem and extensive partner network. The platform's business model centers on facilitating secure bookings and providing customer support, with revenue likely generated through service fees and partnerships. The presence of multiple sister sites tailored to regional markets highlights a strategic approach to global expansion. Continuous experimentation and A/B testing reflect a data-driven culture aimed at enhancing user experience and conversion rates.

Security posture

The website exhibits a strong security posture with mandatory HTTPS, appropriate security headers, and secure form implementations. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the provided content. However, explicit security policies or incident response contacts are not publicly available, which could be improved to enhance transparency and readiness. The use of modern security best practices and absence of critical vulnerabilities suggest a mature security environment. Recommendations include formalizing and publishing security and incident response policies to bolster user confidence and compliance.

Recommendations

  1. Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response plan accessible from the website.
  2. Enhance transparency by providing clear contact channels for security incidents (e.g., security@ or abuse@ emails).
  3. Regularly audit and update third-party libraries to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
  4. Implement and display comprehensive data protection officer contact information to comply with GDPR and related regulations.
  5. Continue investing in privacy compliance mechanisms, including clear cookie consent and data retention disclosures.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Vrbo
Description
Vrbo is a vacation rental platform connecting homeowners with families and vacationers seeking alternative accommodations to hotels. It offers over 2 million rentals worldwide including condos, cabins, beach houses, and more.
Key services
Vacation home rentals, Secure online payment, 24/7 customer service
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
React, GraphQL, Webpack, Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel, OneTrust Consent Management
Frameworks
React
Platforms
Web
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
90/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Use of security headers
  • Secure forms with proper input types

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Tealium
Tracking level
extensive
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Bing Ads, Facebook Ads
Tracking pixels
Facebook Pixel, Bing UET
Marketing tools
Tealium, OneTrust
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 interactive features.
  2. Strong brand presence with consistent branding and professional design.
  3. Comprehensive search and booking forms with proper input validation.
  4. Extensive use of modern web technologies and analytics tools.
  5. Good privacy and cookie policy presence with consent mechanisms.
  6. No obvious security vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data detected.
  7. Multiple experiments and A/B tests indicate active optimization.
  8. Integration with multiple partner sites and affiliate programs.
Technical notes

Notes

Vrbo's technical infrastructure is built on a modern React-based frontend with GraphQL for data querying, supported by a robust Webpack build system. The site uses advanced performance monitoring and analytics tools, including Google Tag Manager, Adobe Analytics, and Facebook Pixel, indicating a sophisticated approach to user behavior tracking and optimization. The hosting appears to be on Amazon AWS, ensuring scalability and reliability. The website is well-optimized for mobile devices and accessibility, with proper semantic markup and ARIA attributes. Performance is fast, with preloading and preconnecting strategies employed for critical assets. The technical setup supports a high-quality user experience but should maintain vigilance on emerging web standards and security updates.
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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