Skip to main content

Security report for mittelstandspreis.com

Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung · Other · Germany

High risk. 7 critical or high findings in Email security, Security headers and 3 other checks.

Security score

49/100

Risk levelHigh

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

The Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung operates the website mittelstandspreis.com, which promotes and manages the "Großer Preis des Mittelstandes," Germany's premier economic award for medium-sized enterprises. The foundation focuses on recognizing outstanding achievements of the Mittelstand, fostering regional marketing, and building a strong network of nominated and awarded companies. The website is well-structured, content-rich, and targets medium-sized businesses and economic stakeholders in Germany. The business model is non-profit, emphasizing economic development and recognition rather than commercial sales. Technically, the site is built on TYPO3 CMS, leveraging modern web technologies including jQuery, Bootstrap, and Google Analytics with privacy-conscious configurations such as IP anonymization. The site is mobile-optimized and includes GDPR-compliant cookie consent mechanisms. However, some security best practices like security headers and published incident response policies are missing, which could be improved. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with good SSL configuration and implements cookie consent, but lacks visible security headers and formal security policies. The WHOIS data for the domain is missing or unavailable, which raises concerns about domain registration legitimacy despite the professional and consistent website content. Overall, the site presents a moderate security posture with room for improvement. Strategically, the foundation should address the WHOIS inconsistency, enhance security headers, and publish clear security and incident response policies to improve trust and compliance. The website is a credible and professional platform for its purpose but would benefit from technical and security enhancements to align with best practices.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
68/ 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. 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

  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
    • 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';…

  3. 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

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

Keep watching mittelstandspreis.com

This scan found 28 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

Email alerts on material changes and an exportable JSON history of every change.

Billed monthly to your card. Cancel anytime. The full timeline opens with your unlock code.

Full report

€39.90one-time

  • The complete analysis as a PDF you can cite
  • Email delivery with an unlock code
  • Lifetime access to this report

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
62
Security headers
25
Email security
60
DNS health
60
Network security
20
GDPR outside view
68
Average
49

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

mittelstandspreis.com is positioned as a leading platform for the "Großer Preis des Mittelstandes," a prestigious award recognizing German medium-sized enterprises. The foundation leverages a strong network of over 22,000 nominated companies and 5,000 jury-stage participants, indicating a broad and influential ecosystem. The business model is focused on non-profit economic promotion, regional marketing, and networking rather than direct commercial revenue. Partnerships with media outlets like PT Magazin and Kompetenznetz Mittelstand enhance visibility and credibility. The website supports multiple stakeholders including companies, sponsors, and regional actors, facilitating nominations, events, and award ceremonies. Growth indicators include ongoing annual events, extensive sponsor support, and active social media presence. The foundation's strategic focus on quality, recognition, and network building positions it well within the German Mittelstand ecosystem.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a baseline security posture with HTTPS enforced and privacy-conscious Google Analytics configuration. The presence of a cookie consent banner aligns with GDPR requirements. However, the absence of key security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, and X-Frame-Options reduces protection against common web attacks. No published security or incident response policies were found, limiting transparency and preparedness. The missing WHOIS data for the domain is a notable concern, potentially indicating registration issues or privacy protection that is not justified for this type of organization. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the provided content. Overall, the security maturity is moderate but could be significantly improved by implementing recommended headers, publishing security policies, and clarifying domain registration details.

Recommendations

  1. Implement comprehensive HTTP security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, and X-Frame-Options to enhance protection against common web vulnerabilities.
  2. Publish a clear security policy and incident response plan on the website to improve transparency and preparedness.
  3. Investigate and resolve the missing WHOIS data issue to ensure domain registration legitimacy and improve trust.
  4. Maintain and regularly update GDPR compliance measures, including cookie consent and privacy policy clarity.
  5. Enhance accessibility features and conduct regular security audits to identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung
Description
Die Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung verleiht jährlich den Wirtschaftspreis „Großer Preis des Mittelstandes“, Deutschlands wichtigsten Wirtschaftspreis, zur Würdigung hervorragender Leistungen mittelständischer Unternehmen.
Key services
Wettbewerb und Auszeichnung mittelständischer Unternehmen, Netzwerkbildung, Regionalmarketing, Veranstaltungen und Galaabende
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
TYPO3 CMS, jQuery, Bootstrap, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, CookieConsent
Frameworks
TYPO3 CMS
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
80/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Google Analytics anonymize IP enabled
  • Cookie consent banner implemented

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Marketing tools
CookieConsent
Transparency
good

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is fully accessible with rich content and navigation
  2. Uses TYPO3 CMS with modern frontend technologies
  3. Implements GDPR-compliant cookie consent
  4. Contains multiple testimonials and trust signals
  5. No visible security headers detected in provided data
  6. WHOIS data unavailable, raising domain legitimacy questions
  7. No explicit security or incident response policies published
  8. No terms of service page found
  9. Multiple external partner and sponsor links present
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on TYPO3 CMS, a mature and widely used content management system, indicating a stable and scalable infrastructure. Frontend technologies include jQuery and Bootstrap, supporting responsive design and interactive elements. Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager are used for analytics and marketing, with IP anonymization enabled for privacy. The site loads with moderate performance and good mobile optimization. SEO is supported by proper meta tags, structured data (JSON-LD), and clear navigation. However, the absence of security headers and lack of visible hosting provider information suggest areas for technical improvement. The site uses external CDNs for scripts and styles, which is standard practice but requires monitoring for supply chain risks. Overall, the technical stack is solid but could benefit from enhanced security configurations and performance tuning.
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

Earlier scans of this domain

  1. 49/100High36 findingsView report
Reviews of this site

Share your experience with mittelstandspreis.com. Every review is verified by email and published after moderation.

Overall rating
Select a rating
4000 characters remaining

We’ll email you to confirm your review and keep your details private.

Community rating

No published reviews yet. Be the first to review mittelstandspreis.com.

Feedback on this report

Rate this report, add an optional comment, and tell us if you want a security specialist to follow up.

Overall report quality
Select a rating
2000 characters remaining

We only use your feedback to improve Guard reports. Contact details are never shared.