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Is phila.gov a Scam? Security Check Results - Philadelphia Housing Authority

phila.gov Security Report Summary

phila.gov received a security score of 53 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Elevated Risk". This report covers Philadelphia Housing Authority's website security posture. Philadelphia Housing Authority operates in the Government industry in United States.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) website serves as the official digital presence of the nation's fourth largest housing authority, established in 1937. It provides comprehensive information and services related to affordable housing programs, resident services, landlord partnerships, and business opportunities within Philadelphia. The site targets residents, landlords, job seekers, and community partners, offering portals for rent payment, housing applications, and client services. The website demonstrates a professional design with clear navigation and multilingual support via Google Translate, reflecting a mature digital infrastructure. Technically, it is built on WordPress with modern frameworks like Bootstrap and integrates Google Analytics and Tag Manager for tracking and performance insights. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enforced and use of reCAPTCHA, though explicit security headers and policies could be improved. Privacy compliance is basic, lacking visible cookie consent mechanisms and detailed privacy policies. WHOIS data is incomplete, likely due to .gov domain policies, but the domain's subdomain status under phila.gov supports legitimacy. Overall, the site is a trustworthy government resource with room for enhanced security and privacy transparency.

The security scan identified 35 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: WordPress, jQuery, Bootstrap, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Translate, Contact Form 7, Events Calendar Pro, Genesis Blocks.

About this security scan

Guard performs automated security assessments of websites by analyzing SSL/TLS certificates, HTTP security headers, DNS configuration, email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), GDPR compliance indicators, NIS2 directive compliance, network exposure, and business-context intelligence. Each report provides domain-specific findings, risk scores, and actionable recommendations.

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Is phila.gov Safe? Security Analysis for Philadelphia Housing Authority

https://www.pha.phila.gov/

Check if phila.gov is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

GovernmentUnited Stateslarge
WordPressjQueryBootstrapGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag Manager+4 more
Analyzed Completed
53
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Below Government avg (70)

GDPR-aligned

Data handling

EU

Hosting region

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AI Summary

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) website serves as the official digital presence of the nation's fourth largest housing authority, established in 1937. It provides comprehensive information and services related to affordable housing programs, resident services, landlord partnerships, and business opportunities within Philadelphia. The site targets residents, landlords, job seekers, and community partners, offering portals for rent payment, housing applications, and client services. The website demonstrates a professional design with clear navigation and multilingual support via Google Translate, reflecting a mature digital infrastructure. Technically, it is built on WordPress with modern frameworks like Bootstrap and integrates Google Analytics and Tag Manager for tracking and performance insights. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enforced and use of reCAPTCHA, though explicit security headers and policies could be improved. Privacy compliance is basic, lacking visible cookie consent mechanisms and detailed privacy policies. WHOIS data is incomplete, likely due to .gov domain policies, but the domain's subdomain status under phila.gov supports legitimacy. Overall, the site is a trustworthy government resource with room for enhanced security and privacy transparency.

Detected Technologies

WordPressjQueryBootstrapGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle TranslateContact Form 7Events Calendar ProGenesis Blocks

13 urgent findings need attention

13 high

  • + 5 more findings in the full report below
Continuous monitoring

Keep phila.gov under constant watch

Guard tracks your live infrastructure daily: certificate expiry, DNS & mail authentication drift, uptime changes, subdomain inventory, and unexpected tracker or content shifts. A full timeline captures every diff so you can prove remediation and spot regressions instantly.

Security drift alerts

Risk score drops, new high-severity issues, and header hardening gaps

Compliance watch

GDPR / NIS2 posture changes with governance evidence snapshots

Infrastructure surface

Unexpected open services, SSL expiry, DNS & email authentication changes

Content & tracker intelligence

Marketing tech shifts, analytics drift, and AI recommendation updates

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OffSeq Observations

No critical findings yet

78/100

SSL/TLS Security

6 findings

32/100

Network Security

1 finding

100/100

DNS Health

4 findings

60/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

PHA holds a strong market position as a major government housing authority serving nearly 80,000 people in Philadelphia. Its business model focuses on providing affordable housing and economic development services, supported by government funding and partnerships. The organization leverages digital platforms to engage residents and landlords, streamline applications, and promote initiatives like PhillySEEDS and Opening Doors. The website reflects a large, established entity with a clear mission and diversified service offerings. Partnerships with related organizations and initiatives indicate a collaborative ecosystem. The absence of direct contact emails or phone numbers on the homepage suggests a controlled communication approach, typical for government entities. Growth indicators include active news updates and community programs. The site’s content and structure support transparency and accessibility for its target audience.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website employs HTTPS with a good SSL configuration, ensuring encrypted communications. It uses Google reCAPTCHA to protect forms from automated abuse. However, explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options are not detected, representing an area for improvement. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were found in the HTML content. The lack of a published security policy or incident response contact limits transparency in security governance. Privacy compliance is minimal, with no visible cookie consent banners or GDPR-specific disclosures. The site would benefit from implementing a security.txt file and enhancing privacy notices to align with best practices. Overall, the security posture is adequate for a government site but could be strengthened to improve trust and compliance.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement comprehensive security headers including CSP, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to mitigate common web attacks.

Observations

Comprehensive website and business-context analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Philadelphia Housing Authority

Description:

Philadelphia Housing Authority was established in 1937 and is the nation’s fourth largest housing authority, housing nearly 80,000 people

Key Services:
Housing Choice Voucher ProgramPublic HousingResident Services and Economic DevelopmentLandlord PartnershipsBusiness Opportunities
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
WordPressjQueryBootstrapGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle TranslateContact Form 7Events Calendar ProGenesis Blocks
Frameworks:
Bootstrap
Platforms:
WordPress
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
80/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Use of Google reCAPTCHA on forms
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of security plugins (implied by Contact Form 7 and other plugins)

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsGoogle Tag Manager
Tracking Level:moderate
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Marketing Tools:
Google Translate
Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

Design Quality:good
User Experience:good
Content Relevance:good
Navigation Clarity:good
Professionalism:good
Trustworthiness:high

Key Observations

1

Website is a government housing authority site with comprehensive service information

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

15/100
Score

Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

HIGH

Forces HTTPS connections

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

Missing X-Content-Type-Options header

MEDIUM

Prevents MIME type sniffing

Missing Content-Security-Policy header

HIGH

Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Missing Referrer-Policy header

LOW

Controls referrer information sent with requests

Missing Permissions-Policy header

MEDIUM

Controls browser features and APIs

Sensitive data may be cached

LOW

Cache-Control header should include "no-store" for sensitive pages

👤GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.

GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment

53/100
Score

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

No Cookie Consent Banner found

HIGH

GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

No Data Protection Officer mentioned

LOW

Large organizations may need to designate a DPO under GDPR

Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant

MEDIUM

Privacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy85% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

2/100
Score

No information security framework found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures

No vulnerability disclosure policy

MEDIUM

NIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure

No security policy documentation found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management

No incident response procedures found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans

No business continuity planning found

MEDIUM

NIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity

No security contact information

HIGH

NIS2 requires clear incident reporting channels

No vulnerability reporting mechanism

MEDIUM

Clear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure

No NIS2 reference found

LOW

Consider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts

Critical sector without clear security compliance

HIGH

Detected sectors: energy, transport, digital

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📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

85/100
Score

No BIMI Record

LOW

BIMI displays brand logos in email clients

No MTA-STS Policy

MEDIUM

MTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery

No TLS-RPT Record

LOW

TLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues

SPF
Sender Policy Framework
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication
MX Records
Mail Exchange Records
BIMI
Brand Indicators
MTA-STS
Mail Transfer Agent Security
TLS-RPT
TLS Reporting
DNSSEC
DNS Security
SPF Details
Record:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:%{i}._ip.%{h}._ehlo.%{d}._spf.vali.email ~all
DNS Lookups:2/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:k1(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:k2(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:selector1(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:selector2(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:s1(1440-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:quarantine
Aggregate Reports:[email protected]
Forensic Reports:[email protected]

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

32/100
Score

Weak Protocols Supported

HIGH

Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

Certificate Transparency Not Implemented

LOW

Certificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 82 days

Weak SSL Key Length

HIGH

SSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak

HSTS Not Enabled

MEDIUM

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is not configured

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

2 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

Protocol Support

TLSv1.3TLSv1.2TLSv1.1

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Enabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

60/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

Potential Subdomain Takeover

HIGH

Subdomain staging.phila.gov points to unregistered service philagov-staging-85492073.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com

Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled

LOW

Domain can be deleted without additional verification

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
28 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
low(81 days)
Protection Level
basicDNSSEC OFF
Suspicious Indicators Detected
  • Privacy/proxy registration detected

DNS Records

A Records:143.204.181.35, 143.204.181.70, 143.204.181.44, 143.204.181.78
Name Servers:
ns-1032.awsdns-01.org
ns-1720.awsdns-23.co.uk
ns-265.awsdns-33.com
ns-978.awsdns-58.net
MX Records:
0: phila-gov.mail.protection.outlook.com
SOA:Serial: 1, TTL: 300s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Enabled(Algorithm: 13)

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:38ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:%{i}._ip.%{h}._ehlo.%{d}._spf.vali.email ~all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

100/100
Score

Good Network Security Posture

LOW

No unnecessary services detected on common risky ports

How does phila.gov compare?

See how phila.gov stacks up against similar websites in the same industry.

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on a WordPress CMS platform, utilizing Bootstrap for responsive design and jQuery for interactive elements. It integrates multiple third-party services including Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, YouTube embeds, and Google Translate for multilingual support. The site loads multiple CSS and JS assets from both internal and external CDNs, indicating a modern web infrastructure. Performance is moderate, with adaptive image loading and slick slider for banners. Accessibility features such as skip links and ARIA labels are present, contributing to a good user experience. SEO is enhanced by Yoast SEO plugin with structured data (JSON-LD) and Open Graph metadata. The site is mobile optimized and demonstrates consistent branding. Hosting provider details are not explicitly found in the content. Overall, the technical implementation is solid with opportunities for performance tuning and security enhancements.
Professional Report

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Optional add-ons

via BREACH

Your order

Full Report
PDF · email delivery · lifetime access
39.90
Total
Incl. 21% VAT
39.90
Already purchased? Enter unlock code
VisaMastercardApple PayGoogle Payvia EveryPay
SEQ SIA
Reg. No. 40203410806 · VAT LV40203410806

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