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Security report for pacast.com

Commonwealth Media Services · Government · United States

High risk. 9 critical or high findings in Network security, Security headers and 2 other checks.

Security score

49/100

Risk levelHigh

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

PAcast is an official Pennsylvania government media website operated by Commonwealth Media Services. It provides video, photo, radio, and news content related to Pennsylvania state government activities, targeting residents, media professionals, and government officials. The site is well-branded and positioned as an authoritative source for government media content. Technically, the website uses ASP.NET Web Forms with modern JavaScript libraries such as jQuery, Google Tag Manager, and Featherlight for galleries. The site is mobile optimized and has moderate performance. Security posture is adequate with HTTPS enforced and domain locks in place, but lacks DNSSEC and security headers, which are recommended for improvement. Privacy compliance is basic, with a privacy policy linked to the official Pennsylvania government site but no cookie consent mechanism detected. Contact information is limited to a physical address and a search form, with no explicit emails or phone numbers listed. Overall, the website is professional and trustworthy but could enhance security and privacy features to align with best practices.

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

9 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. 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: MSSQL

      Port 1433 (MSSQL) is publicly accessible - MSSQL - Database server

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to MSSQL 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
    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: RDP

      Port 3389 (RDP) is publicly accessible - RDP - Remote Desktop, prime ransomware target

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to RDP 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

  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';…

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  • 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
25
Email security
70
DNS health
75
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
58
Average
50
After the cap
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 · 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

PAcast operates as a government media dissemination platform under the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, serving as the official channel for state government media releases and advisories. Its business model is non-commercial, focusing on public service and transparency. The site leverages partnerships with the official Pennsylvania government portal (pa.gov) and uses third-party analytics tools for performance monitoring. The target audience includes Pennsylvania residents and media entities seeking official government information. The domain's long registration history and consistent WHOIS data support its legitimacy. Growth indicators include regular media updates and integration of multimedia content. The platform's ecosystem is primarily government-focused with no evident commercial partnerships or subsidiaries.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a moderate security maturity level with HTTPS enabled and domain status locks preventing unauthorized changes. However, the absence of DNSSEC and security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and Strict-Transport-Security represents gaps that could expose the site to certain attacks. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected in the HTML content. The lack of a published security policy or incident response contact limits transparency and readiness for security incidents. Privacy compliance is partial, with a privacy policy present but no cookie consent mechanism. Overall, the security posture is adequate for a government media site but would benefit from enhancements to align with modern security standards and regulatory requirements.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the domain to protect against DNS spoofing and improve domain security.
  2. Implement standard security headers including Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and Strict-Transport-Security to mitigate common web vulnerabilities.
  3. Add a cookie consent banner or mechanism to comply with privacy regulations and improve user transparency.
  4. Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response contact information to enhance trust and preparedness.
  5. Regularly audit third-party scripts and libraries to ensure no vulnerable versions are in use and maintain secure forms and inputs.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Commonwealth Media Services
Description
Official Pennsylvania Government Website providing media services including video, photo, radio, and news feeds related to Pennsylvania state government activities.
Key services
Video content, Photo galleries, Radio broadcasts, News advisories and releases
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
jQuery, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Featherlight (lightbox gallery), Amazing Audio Player
Frameworks
ASP.NET Web Forms
Platforms
Windows Server (implied by ASP.NET usage)
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
70/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Use of clientDeleteProhibited and other domain status locks

Analytics and tracking

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

Advertising

Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Official Pennsylvania government media website with consistent branding and authoritative content.
  2. No evidence of phishing or malware.
  3. No explicit cookie consent mechanism found, which may be a compliance gap.
  4. No visible security headers detected in HTML content; potential area for improvement.
  5. Use of modern JavaScript libraries and analytics tools indicates moderate digital maturity.
  6. No contact emails or phone numbers explicitly listed; only physical address and search form available.
  7. No terms of service or security policy pages found.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on ASP.NET Web Forms, indicating a legacy but stable technology stack. It integrates modern JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and Featherlight for UI enhancements and Google Tag Manager and Analytics for tracking. The site is hosted on infrastructure associated with GoDaddy.com, LLC as registrar, though hosting specifics are not explicit. Performance is moderate with good mobile optimization and basic accessibility features. SEO is supported by proper meta tags and Open Graph data. Technical debt may exist due to ASP.NET Web Forms usage, suggesting potential modernization opportunities. No critical technical risks were identified, but improvements in security headers and DNSSEC would strengthen the infrastructure.
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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