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Security report for ictp.it

Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) · Education · Italy

Low risk. 1 critical or high finding in SSL/TLS.

Security score

83/100

Risk levelLow

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

The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) operates a comprehensive and professionally designed website built on Drupal 9, serving as a global hub for advanced studies and research in physics and mathematics. The site targets scientists, researchers, and students worldwide, with a particular focus on developing countries. ICTP offers a wide range of educational programs, research opportunities, and scientific events, reinforcing its position as a leading international scientific institution. The website content is well-structured, with clear navigation and mobile optimization, supporting a positive user experience. Technically, the website employs modern technologies including Drupal 9, JavaScript libraries such as Swiper JS and NoUiSlider, and integrates analytics tools like Microsoft Clarity and Google Analytics via Google Tag Manager. The site uses HTTPS with good SSL configuration, though security headers could be enhanced. Privacy compliance is partially addressed with a cookie consent mechanism, but lacks explicit privacy policy and terms of service pages. Contact information is available through dedicated pages, though no direct emails or phone numbers were explicitly extracted from the main HTML. From a security perspective, the site demonstrates a solid posture with HTTPS enforcement and no visible vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data. However, the absence of a published security policy, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms represents areas for improvement. The domain WHOIS data aligns well with the organization's identity and history, confirming legitimacy and trustworthiness. Overall, the website is a credible and authoritative platform for ICTP's mission, with room to enhance privacy and security transparency.

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

1 finding rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. 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

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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
67
Security headers
90
Email security
70
DNS health
75
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
95
Average
83

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

ICTP is positioned as a prestigious international research and education center specializing in physics and mathematics, with a strong emphasis on supporting scientists from developing countries. Its business model is non-profit, funded by international organizations and governments. The website reflects this through extensive educational offerings, scientific events, and outreach programs. ICTP maintains partnerships via its four partner institutes and actively engages the global scientific community. The organization's market position is strong within the academic and scientific sectors, leveraging its historical legacy since 1964. The website's content and structure support ICTP's mission and outreach effectively, though explicit business contact details and certifications are not prominently displayed.

Security posture

The website enforces HTTPS and integrates security analytics tools, indicating a baseline security awareness. However, the lack of comprehensive security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options suggests potential areas of vulnerability to common web attacks. No sensitive data leakage or vulnerable libraries were detected in the HTML content. The absence of a published security policy, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure channels limits transparency and preparedness for security incidents. Overall, the security posture is moderate but could be significantly improved by adopting best practices in HTTP headers and publishing clear security governance documentation.

Recommendations

  1. Implement and enforce comprehensive security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to mitigate common web vulnerabilities.
  2. Publish a clear and accessible privacy policy and terms of service to enhance legal compliance and user trust.
  3. Establish and publicize an incident response policy with dedicated contact channels such as security@ or abuse@ email addresses.
  4. Introduce a vulnerability disclosure program or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting of security issues.
  5. Enhance privacy compliance by detailing data retention policies and cookie usage in line with GDPR requirements.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)
Description
ICTP is an international research institute that fosters advanced studies and research in physics and mathematics, providing education, scientific outreach, and global collaboration opportunities.
Key services
Research programs, Educational programmes (Postgraduate Diploma, Master's, PhD, Sandwich, Postdoctoral), Scientific calendar events (conferences, schools, workshops, seminars), Science outreach and partner institutes, ICTP Library and resources
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Drupal 9, JavaScript, Google Tag Manager, Microsoft Clarity, Swiper JS, NoUiSlider
Frameworks
Drupal 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 security analytics tools (Microsoft Clarity)

Analytics and tracking

Services
Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
basic

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics (via Google Tag Manager)
Marketing tools
Microsoft Clarity
Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is a professionally maintained Drupal 9 site for an international scientific research center.
  2. Content is rich and well-structured with clear navigation and multiple sections for research, education, outreach, and events.
  3. Cookie consent mechanism is implemented, indicating GDPR awareness.
  4. No explicit privacy policy or terms of service found on the main site.
  5. Security headers could be improved for enhanced protection.
  6. No visible security incident response or vulnerability disclosure information.
  7. Multiple social media channels linked, enhancing trust and outreach.
  8. No signs of blocking or WAF challenges; site fully accessible.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on Drupal 9, a modern and widely supported CMS, ensuring a robust content management framework. It uses JavaScript libraries like Swiper JS for interactive elements and NoUiSlider for UI components, contributing to a dynamic user experience. Analytics integration includes Microsoft Clarity and Google Analytics via Google Tag Manager, enabling user behavior tracking and performance insights. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible, with good SEO practices evident in meta tags and structured navigation. Performance is moderate, with potential for optimization in loading speed. No critical technical debt or outdated technologies were detected, indicating a well-maintained infrastructure.
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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