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Security report for metroland.com

Metroland Media · Media · Canada

High risk. 7 critical or high findings in SSL/TLS, Network security and 2 other checks.

Security score

37/100

Risk levelHigh

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

Metroland Media is a well-established Canadian media company specializing in local print and digital advertising solutions. With a domain registered since 1995 and a strong market presence reaching over 4.2 million readers weekly, the company offers tailored marketing plans to local businesses, national retailers, and startups. Their business model focuses on leveraging multiple media platforms including daily newspapers and digital sites to connect advertisers with engaged local audiences. The website reflects a professional and consistent brand image with clear navigation and relevant content.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
58/ 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

7 findings 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.

    • Critical

      Unable to retrieve SSL certificate

      Could not establish secure connection to retrieve certificate information

      What to do: Check if the server is accessible and SSL/TLS is properly configured

  2. 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

  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 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 metroland.com

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

€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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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
0
Security headers
15
Email security
70
DNS health
80
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
58
Average
37

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

The company holds a strong position in the Canadian local media market, supported by its parent company Torstar Corporation. It benefits from a diversified portfolio of print and digital media products, enabling multi-channel marketing strategies for clients. The presence of social media channels and integration with marketing tools like HubSpot indicates a modern approach to customer engagement. The company targets local businesses and national retailers, emphasizing community connection and economic growth. The website's content and linked domains suggest a mature partnership ecosystem within the media industry.

Security posture

The website employs HTTPS with good SSL configuration and uses security tools such as Google reCAPTCHA v3 to protect forms. However, it lacks DNSSEC and explicit security headers, which are recommended to enhance security posture. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the HTML content. The absence of a dedicated security policy or incident response page indicates room for improvement in transparency and readiness. Overall, the security posture is moderate but could be strengthened by implementing additional best practices and compliance measures.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to improve DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Implement security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
  3. Add a cookie consent banner and mechanism to comply fully with GDPR and other privacy regulations.
  4. Publish a clear security policy and incident response contact information to enhance trust and preparedness.
  5. Regularly audit third-party scripts and plugins for vulnerabilities and update them promptly.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Metroland Media
Description
We have the audience and reach to get your message across. Whether you’re a national retailer or a local startup, our advertising solutions meet any need. We support local businesses by providing print and digital platforms to reach and engage your community, boosting your visibility and fostering economic growth.
Key services
Print advertising, Digital advertising, Custom marketing plans, Local media publishing
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
WordPress 6.8.3, Elementor 3.28.2, Elementor Pro 3.28.2, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, HubSpot, reCAPTCHA v3
Frameworks
WordPress, Elementor
Platforms
WordPress CMS
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
75/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enabled
  • Use of Google reCAPTCHA v3
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of Google Tag Manager and Analytics with async loading

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, Adobe AppMeasurement
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
basic

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Adobe AppMeasurement
Marketing tools
HubSpot
Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is professionally designed and well-structured.
  2. Content is focused on local media advertising solutions.
  3. Clear contact phone number and contact page present.
  4. Social media presence on LinkedIn and Twitter.
  5. No cookie consent banner detected despite GDPR relevance.
  6. No explicit security or incident response policies found.
  7. Use of modern WordPress and Elementor technologies.
  8. No DNSSEC enabled which is a minor security gap.
  9. No suspicious or malicious content detected.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a modern WordPress CMS platform using Elementor and Elementor Pro for page building, ensuring responsive design and good user experience. It integrates Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, HubSpot, and Adobe tracking tools for marketing and analytics purposes. Performance is moderate with asynchronous loading of scripts. Accessibility is basic but present, and SEO optimization is good with proper meta tags and structured data. Hosting details are not explicit but DNS is managed via easydns.com. The site could benefit from performance tuning and enhanced accessibility features.
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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