Skip to main content

Security report for northjersey.com

North Jersey Media Group · Media · United States

Medium risk. 5 critical or high findings in Security headers, GDPR outside view and 1 other check.

Security score

71/100

Risk levelMedium

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

North Jersey Media Group operates the NorthJersey.com website, providing comprehensive local, state, and national news coverage focused on Bergen County and surrounding areas. As a subsidiary of Gannett, the company holds a strong regional market position with a business model centered on advertising-supported digital news media. The website targets residents and news consumers interested in Northern New Jersey, offering a broad range of news, sports, entertainment, and community information. The site demonstrates consistent branding and professional content quality, supporting its role as a trusted regional news source. Technically, the website employs a modern technology stack including Polymer web components, extensive use of advertising and analytics platforms, and a robust consent management system via OneTrust to ensure GDPR and CCPA compliance. The infrastructure leverages Gannett's CDN and hosting services, delivering moderate performance with good mobile optimization and accessibility features. SEO practices are well implemented, enhancing discoverability and user engagement. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS with good SSL configuration and includes standard security headers. The integration of consent management and absence of exposed sensitive data indicate a mature security posture. However, explicit security policies and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms are not publicly available, representing an area for improvement. No WAF or blocking mechanisms were detected, and the site content is fully accessible. Overall, NorthJersey.com presents a secure, compliant, and professionally managed digital news platform with strong business credibility. Strategic recommendations include publishing formal security and incident response policies, establishing a vulnerability disclosure program, and enhancing transparency around security certifications to further strengthen trust and compliance.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
70/ 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

5 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 X-Frame-Options header

      Prevents clickjacking attacks

      What to do: Add "X-Frame-Options: DENY" or "X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN"

  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

  3. 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
    • High

      SSL Certificate Expires Soon

      SSL certificate expires in 28 days

      What to do: Renew SSL certificate before expiration

      • NIS2 21(2)(h)
      • IR 2024/2690 9.2(c): Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690, Annex point 9.2(c): Cryptography
      • NIST SC-17: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SC-17: Public Key Infrastructure Certificates

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

Keep watching northjersey.com

This scan found 21 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. See sample alerts.

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
52
Security headers
40
Email security
90
DNS health
75
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
70
Average
71

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

North Jersey Media Group is positioned as a leading regional news provider in Northern New Jersey, leveraging its affiliation with Gannett to access extensive resources and advertising networks. The company benefits from a diversified revenue stream primarily through digital advertising, supported by multiple ad networks and retargeting services. Its target audience includes local residents and news consumers seeking timely and relevant information. The partnership ecosystem includes major advertising and analytics providers, enhancing monetization and audience insights. The business model focuses on digital content delivery with strong emphasis on compliance and user privacy, reflecting industry trends. Growth indicators include adoption of modern web technologies and consent management solutions. The company maintains consistent branding and professional content, reinforcing its market position.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a solid security posture with enforced HTTPS, good SSL configuration, and presence of key security headers such as HSTS and X-Frame-Options. The use of OneTrust for consent management indicates compliance with GDPR and CCPA regulations. No exposed sensitive information or vulnerable libraries were detected in the analyzed content. However, the absence of publicly available security policies, incident response plans, and vulnerability disclosure programs suggests room for maturity improvement. The site does not appear to be protected by a WAF or similar blocking mechanisms, but no security incidents or malware were detected. Overall, the security posture is good but could benefit from enhanced transparency and formalized security documentation.

Recommendations

  1. Publish a detailed security policy and incident response plan accessible to users and partners.
  2. Implement and publicize a vulnerability disclosure policy or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  3. Regularly audit and update third-party libraries and ad network integrations to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
  4. Enhance transparency by obtaining and displaying relevant security certifications such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2.
  5. Continue to monitor and improve privacy compliance mechanisms, ensuring up-to-date consent management aligned with evolving regulations.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
North Jersey Media Group
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
North Jersey Media Group
Description
Home to the latest local, state, and national news coverage for Bergen County and surrounding areas.
Key services
News reporting, Local event coverage, Sports coverage, Entertainment news, Digital advertising
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Polymer, Web Components, OneTrust Consent Management, Google Analytics, Adobe Audience Manager, Prebid.js, Amazon APS, Criteo, Rubicon, OpenX, Sonobi, Teads, TripleLift, TrustX, Undertone, Yahoo SSP, Yieldmo, Taboola, IAS (Integral Ad Science), LiveIntent
Frameworks
Polymer
Platforms
Web, AMP
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Consent management for GDPR and CCPA
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of security headers

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, Adobe Audience Manager, Chartbeat
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Amazon APS, AppNexus, Criteo, Rubicon, OpenX, Sonobi, Teads, TripleLift, TrustX, Undertone, Yahoo SSP, Yieldmo
Tracking pixels
Adobe Audience Manager, Integral Ad Science (IAS), LiveIntent, Taboola
Marketing tools
OneTrust Consent Management, Adobe Audience Manager, Taboola
Transparency
good

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is a regional news portal for Northern New Jersey operated by North Jersey Media Group, a Gannett subsidiary.
  2. Content is accessible and well-structured with comprehensive news coverage.
  3. Strong use of modern web technologies and ad networks.
  4. Good privacy and cookie compliance with OneTrust integration.
  5. No security or WAF blocking detected.
  6. WHOIS data for subdomain not available, which is normal for subdomains.
Technical notes

Notes

The website utilizes a modern and complex technology stack including Polymer web components, extensive advertising integrations (Prebid.js, Amazon APS, Criteo, Rubicon, etc.), and analytics platforms (Google Analytics, Adobe Audience Manager). The use of OneTrust for consent management reflects a mature approach to privacy compliance. Hosting and CDN services appear to be provided by Gannett's infrastructure, ensuring reliable content delivery. Performance is moderate with good mobile optimization and accessibility features. SEO is well addressed through meta tags, structured data (JSON-LD), and Open Graph tags. The site employs modern JavaScript frameworks and polyfills to support broad browser compatibility. Opportunities exist to streamline ad network usage and enhance security documentation to reduce technical debt and improve maintainability.
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

Reviews of this site

Share your experience with northjersey.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 northjersey.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.