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Security report for hushline.app

Science & Design, Inc. · Non-profit · United States

Medium risk. 6 critical or high findings in Security headers, GDPR outside view and 1 other check.

Security score

65/100

Risk levelMedium

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

Hush Line is a privacy-focused, open-source whistleblower platform operated by Science & Design, Inc., a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit. It provides secure, anonymous tip lines with end-to-end encryption and Tor Onion service access, targeting journalists, lawyers, employers, educators, and activists. The platform offers a free core service with paid tiers for enhanced features and managed hosting, supported by donations and sponsorships. The website is professionally designed, well-structured, and highly trustworthy, with strong emphasis on privacy and security. Technically, it uses modern technologies including Python Flask backend and OpenPGP.js for encryption, with a focus on accessibility and mobile optimization. Security posture is strong, supported by a recent independent security audit, encrypted data storage, and verified accounts for authenticity. However, the site lacks a cookie policy and explicit security headers, which are recommended for compliance and enhanced security. Overall, Hush Line presents a mature, credible, and secure service for whistleblower communication with a clear commitment to user privacy and transparency.

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

6 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
    • 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';…

  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

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

Keep watching hushline.app

This scan found 23 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
75
Security headers
15
Email security
70
DNS health
75
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
53
Average
65

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

Hush Line occupies a niche market in secure whistleblower communication, leveraging open-source transparency and non-profit status to build trust. Its business model combines free community services with paid subscriptions for businesses needing advanced features and dedicated hosting. The platform's partnerships with recognized organizations and media outlets enhance its credibility and market reach. Revenue streams include subscriptions, donations, and hardware sales. Target customers range from individual journalists and activists to medium-sized businesses and legal offices. The company demonstrates growth potential through its security audit, community endorsements, and flexible service offerings. Strategic partnerships with Open Tech Fund and Subgraph further strengthen its ecosystem and security posture.

Security posture

Hush Line exhibits a high security maturity level with end-to-end encryption using OpenPGP.js, TLS for data in transit, encrypted data at rest, and Tor Onion service for anonymity. The platform enforces no PII requirements for tip line owners and offers verified accounts to guarantee authenticity. A 2024 security audit by Subgraph confirms the robustness of its managed service and self-hosted versions. No critical vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the website content. However, the absence of explicit security headers and a cookie consent mechanism are minor compliance gaps. Incident response is facilitated through a public vulnerability reporting channel. Overall, the security culture is strong, emphasizing user privacy and operational security.

Recommendations

  1. Implement and display a cookie policy with a consent mechanism to enhance privacy compliance.
  2. Add standard security headers such as Content Security Policy (CSP), HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), and X-Frame-Options to improve defense-in-depth.
  3. Publish a security.txt file on the website root to formalize vulnerability disclosure and incident response.
  4. Consider publicly listing a Data Protection Officer contact to align with GDPR and similar regulations.
  5. Enhance incident response transparency by providing clear security contact channels on the website.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
Science & Design, Inc.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Science & Design, Inc.
Description
Hush Line is a platform providing open-source, end-to-end encrypted, anonymous tip lines for individuals and organizations.
Key services
Anonymous tip lines, End-to-end encrypted messaging, Verified accounts, Tor Onion service access, Personal Server hardware, Custom encrypted forms, Message triage and management
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Python, Flask, OpenPGP.js, TLS, Mailvelope browser extension
Frameworks
Flask
Platforms
Web, Tor Onion Service
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
90/100
Good practices seen
  • End-to-end encryption with OpenPGP.js
  • TLS encryption in transit
  • Encrypted data at rest
  • Tor Onion service for anonymity
  • No PII required for tip line owners
  • Verified accounts for authenticity
  • Security audit performed

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 no blocking or WAF challenges.
  2. Strong emphasis on privacy, security, and anonymity for whistleblowers.
  3. Open-source and non-profit status enhances trust and transparency.
  4. Comprehensive FAQ addressing security and anonymity concerns.
  5. Multiple donation options including cryptocurrency.
  6. No direct company emails or phone numbers publicly listed; contact via messaging platforms and tip lines.
  7. No cookie policy or consent banner detected, which may be a compliance gap.
  8. Security audit publicly available, indicating commitment to security.
  9. No advertising or tracking scripts detected, supporting privacy focus.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a modern technology stack featuring Python and Flask for backend services, with client-side encryption via OpenPGP.js. It supports Tor Onion services for anonymity and uses TLS for secure communications. The site is well-structured with responsive design and accessibility considerations. No CMS or third-party analytics/tracking scripts were detected, aligning with the privacy-first approach. Performance is moderate, likely due to encryption and security features. Technical debt appears low, with active maintenance indicated by recent security audits and open-source code availability. Opportunities exist to improve security headers and cookie management to further modernize the platform and enhance compliance.
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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