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Security report for mittelstand-digital.de

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz · Government · Germany

Medium risk. 5 critical or high findings in Email security, Security headers and 2 other checks.

Security score

65/100

Risk levelMedium

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

Mittelstand-Digital is a German government initiative under the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, focused on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their digital transformation journey. The website offers comprehensive information, practical examples, workshops, and tools related to digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. It serves as a trusted resource with official government backing, targeting the German SME sector with free and neutral guidance. Technically, the website employs modern web technologies including JW Player for video content, Slick Slider for UI elements, and eTracker for analytics, all integrated with user consent mechanisms. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and performs moderately well. Hosting is managed via managed-ip.com name servers, consistent with a professional government hosting environment. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS, uses cookie consent banners, and requires explicit user consent for video tracking services. While explicit security headers are not fully detailed, no vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected. Privacy compliance is strong, with clear GDPR-aligned policies and a named data protection officer contact. Overall, the website presents a low-risk profile with high trustworthiness and professionalism. It effectively balances user privacy, security, and usability, making it a reliable digital resource for its target audience.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
80/ 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

5 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. Email security

    SPF, DKIM and DMARC stop others sending email that looks like it comes from your domain, a common route to phishing and invoice fraud.

    • Critical

      No email authentication configured

      Domain is vulnerable to email spoofing

      What to do: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC immediately

    • High

      No SPF record found

      SPF helps prevent email spoofing

      What to do: Add SPF record: "v=spf1 include:_spf.yourmailprovider.com ~all"

  2. 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
  3. GDPR outside view

    These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.

    • 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

  4. 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 mittelstand-digital.de

This scan found 26 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
67
Security headers
40
Email security
40
DNS health
60
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
80
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

Breach exposure

Leaked credentials and lookalike domains from OffSeq Breach. The counts are free; the detailed lists are paid add-ons.

Dark web exposure

Add-on

Leaked records that mention mittelstand-digital.de, from OffSeq Breach.

No leaked records found

Breach holds no records for mittelstand-digital.de right now. New leaks arrive continuously, so monitoring on Breach alerts you if that changes.

Monitor on Breach (opens in a new tab)

Technical appendix

Business context, site observations and technical notes gathered during the scan, and the standards behind each reference.

Business context

Business profile

The website positions itself as a central hub for digitalization support for German SMEs, leveraging government authority to build trust and credibility. Its business model is informational and service-oriented, providing workshops, tools, and networking opportunities without commercial sales. The platform's partnerships with various demonstration centers and integration with government ministries enhance its ecosystem. The target customers are SMEs seeking guidance on digital transformation, cybersecurity, and AI adoption. The presence of newsletters, blogs, and events indicates active engagement and growth orientation. The lack of commercial advertising and affiliate programs aligns with its public service mandate.

Security posture

The security posture is mature with enforced HTTPS and user consent for tracking and video services. The site uses a cookie banner that respects Do Not Track signals and allows granular consent management. No security.txt or explicit incident response pages were found, which could be improved. No vulnerable or outdated libraries were detected in the HTML content. The site does not expose sensitive data or credentials. However, explicit security headers like Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options are not clearly present and should be implemented to enhance protection against common web attacks. Overall, the site demonstrates good security hygiene appropriate for a government informational portal.

Recommendations

  1. Implement explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to strengthen browser security.
  2. Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response information page to improve transparency and preparedness.
  3. Consider adding a security.txt file to facilitate responsible vulnerability disclosure.
  4. Regularly audit third-party libraries and update them to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
  5. Enhance monitoring and logging to detect and respond to security incidents promptly.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz
Description
Unterstützung bei allen Fragen zur Digitalisierung für den Mittelstand, mit Informationen, Umsetzungsbeispielen und Ansprechpartnern, kostenfrei und anbieterneutral.
Key services
Informationsangebote zu Digitalisierung, KI und Cybersicherheit, Workshops und Trainings (z.B. KI-Trainer), Netzwerkzentren und Demonstrationsorte, Online-Tools und Leitfäden, Veranstaltungen und Kongresse, Newsletter und Blog
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
jwplayer 7.6.1, jQuery UI Autocomplete, Slick Slider, eTracker analytics
Performance
moderate
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Consent mechanism for video service (JW-Player) with explicit user consent
  • Cookie banner with opt-in/out options
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • No vulnerable libraries detected

Analytics and tracking

Services
eTracker
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Tracking pixels
eTracker
Marketing tools
eTracker
Transparency
good

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is a professional government portal for digitalization support targeting German SMEs.
  2. Content is comprehensive, well-structured, and accessible.
  3. Strong privacy and cookie consent mechanisms are implemented.
  4. No signs of malicious or suspicious activity.
  5. Use of modern web technologies and analytics with user consent.
  6. No explicit security policy or incident response page found.
  7. No vulnerability disclosure or security.txt detected.
Technical notes

Notes

The website uses a combination of custom CSS and JavaScript with third-party libraries like JW Player for video playback and Slick Slider for interactive content display. Analytics are handled by eTracker with asynchronous loading and cookie consent integration. The site is mobile responsive and includes accessibility features such as skip links and focus outlines. Hosting is managed through managed-ip.com name servers, indicating a professional hosting environment. Performance is moderate, with room for optimization in loading times and resource management. The absence of a known CMS suggests a custom or proprietary content management system tailored for government use. Overall, the technical infrastructure supports a stable and user-friendly experience.
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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