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Security report for ow.ly

Hootsuite Inc. · Technology · Canada

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

Security score

82/100

Risk levelLow

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

Hootsuite Inc. is a well-established Canadian technology company specializing in social media management solutions, including the Ow.ly link shortener service. The company targets businesses and social media professionals, offering SaaS products that enable URL shortening, link tracking, and comprehensive social media management. Hootsuite holds a strong market position as a leading platform in its sector, supported by certifications such as SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, which demonstrate its commitment to security and compliance. Technically, the website leverages modern web technologies including React and Next.js, with integrations for analytics and marketing tools such as Google Tag Manager, FullStory, and Impact Affiliate. The site is well-optimized for performance, mobile responsiveness, and accessibility, providing an excellent user experience. Security best practices are observed with HTTPS enforcement, robust security headers, and no detected vulnerabilities. Privacy compliance is robust, featuring comprehensive privacy and cookie policies with active consent mechanisms, aligning with GDPR requirements. Contact information is clearly provided, including dedicated privacy and support email addresses. However, the WHOIS data for the domain is unavailable, which limits transparency regarding domain registration details, though the overall trustworthiness of the site remains high based on other indicators. Overall, Hootsuite's website demonstrates a mature digital presence with strong security and privacy postures, making it a trustworthy platform for its users. Strategic recommendations include publishing a dedicated security policy and vulnerability disclosure to further enhance transparency and incident response readiness.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
88/ 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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This scan found 15 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.

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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
72
Security headers
70
Email security
72
DNS health
90
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
88
Average
82

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

Hootsuite operates in the technology sector, focusing on social media management and digital marketing tools. Its business model is SaaS-based, generating revenue through subscription services targeting enterprises and social media managers. The company benefits from a strong brand and market leadership, supported by a comprehensive ecosystem of marketing and analytics integrations. Growth indicators include extensive use of tracking and affiliate marketing tools, and a broad international audience evidenced by multilingual site versions. Partnerships with analytics and affiliate platforms enhance its marketing reach. The company maintains a professional online presence with clear business information and trust signals, positioning it well against competitors in the social media management space.

Security posture

The website exhibits a high security maturity level with HTTPS enforced and multiple security headers implemented, including Content-Security-Policy and Strict-Transport-Security. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected. Privacy compliance is strong, with GDPR-aligned policies and cookie consent mechanisms. However, the absence of a publicly available security policy or incident response contact reduces transparency in security governance. No vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file was found, which could be improved to encourage responsible reporting. Overall, the security posture is robust, minimizing risk exposure and supporting user trust.

Recommendations

  1. Publish a dedicated security policy page outlining security practices and governance.
  2. Provide explicit incident response contact details to facilitate security communications.
  3. Implement and publish a vulnerability disclosure policy or security.txt file.
  4. Enhance transparency around data retention policies and user data handling.
  5. Continue monitoring and updating third-party libraries to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
Hootsuite Inc.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Hootsuite Inc.
Description
Shorten URLs, track performance, and create custom vanity links with Ow.ly. Try it for free today!
Key services
URL shortening, Link tracking and analytics, Social media management
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
React, Next.js, Google Tag Manager, FullStory, Impact Affiliate, Qualified, CryptoJS
Frameworks
Next.js
Platforms
Web
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
90/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Security headers implemented
  • No exposed sensitive data detected
  • Use of secure libraries
  • Consent management for cookies

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics (via GTM), FullStory
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Impact
Tracking pixels
FullStory, G2 Tracking
Marketing tools
Qualified
Transparency
good

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is fully accessible with no blocking or WAF challenges.
  2. Strong privacy and cookie policies with consent mechanisms.
  3. Use of multiple modern tracking and marketing technologies.
  4. No exposed sensitive data or security vulnerabilities detected.
  5. WHOIS data is unavailable, limiting domain registration transparency.
  6. Content is business-focused, professional, and safe for general audiences.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a modern technology stack featuring React and Next.js, enabling server-side rendering and fast performance. Integration with multiple analytics and marketing tools indicates a mature digital marketing infrastructure. The site is well-optimized for mobile devices and accessibility standards, contributing to excellent user experience. No CMS was explicitly detected, suggesting a custom or headless approach. Hosting provider details were not identified from the data. Performance is fast, with proper use of meta tags and SEO best practices. Technical risks are minimal, though ongoing maintenance of third-party scripts is recommended to avoid future vulnerabilities.
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. 84/100Low21 findingsView report
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