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Security report for soundcloud.com

SoundCloud · Media · United States

Low risk. 3 critical or high findings in Security headers, GDPR outside view and 1 other check.

Security score

81/100

Risk levelLow

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

SoundCloud is a leading online music streaming and sharing platform, hosting over 320 million tracks and serving a global community of artists, bands, DJs, and audio creators. Established in 2005, it has grown to become one of the largest music communities worldwide, offering services that enable music discovery, sharing, and community engagement. The platform supports web, iOS, and Android applications, leveraging modern web technologies and cloud hosting to deliver a fast and responsive user experience. Technically, SoundCloud employs a robust infrastructure including AWS DNS hosting, React-based frontend, and advanced bot protection via Datadome. The site is optimized for mobile devices, includes accessibility features, and integrates analytics and advertising networks such as Google Analytics and DoubleClick. Security posture is strong with HTTPS enforcement, security headers, and domain transfer protections, though DNSSEC is not enabled. From a security and compliance perspective, SoundCloud maintains comprehensive privacy and cookie policies with GDPR compliance indicators. However, explicit security policies and incident response contacts are not publicly detailed. The platform does not expose sensitive data and uses secure forms for user interactions. Overall, the site demonstrates a mature security culture with room for improvement in transparency around security operations. The overall risk assessment is low, with no critical vulnerabilities detected. Strategic recommendations include enabling DNSSEC, publishing a security.txt file, and enhancing incident response transparency to further strengthen trust and security posture.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
73/ 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

3 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 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';…

  2. GDPR outside view

    These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.

    • 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

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

Keep watching soundcloud.com

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.

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.

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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
82
Security headers
60
Email security
85
DNS health
85
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
73
Average
81

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

SoundCloud occupies a strong market position as a major player in the online music streaming industry, targeting creators and listeners globally. Its business model revolves around free and premium streaming services, content hosting, and community features. Revenue streams include advertising, subscriptions, and partnerships. The company benefits from a large user base and brand recognition. Partnerships with advertising networks and analytics providers support monetization and user insights. Growth indicators include continuous platform enhancements and mobile app support. Strategic observations highlight the importance of maintaining security and privacy compliance to sustain user trust and regulatory adherence.

Security posture

SoundCloud exhibits a high level of security maturity with enforced HTTPS, comprehensive security headers, and bot mitigation strategies. No exposed credentials or sensitive data were found in the HTML content. The use of clientTransferProhibited status on the domain adds protection against unauthorized domain transfers. However, the absence of DNSSEC and a publicly available security policy or incident response contact represents areas for improvement. Compliance with GDPR is indicated through privacy and cookie policies. The platform's security culture appears robust but could benefit from enhanced transparency and formal vulnerability disclosure mechanisms.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC to enhance DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Publish a security.txt file to facilitate responsible vulnerability disclosure.
  3. Provide explicit incident response contact information on the website.
  4. Develop and publish a formal security policy outlining security practices.
  5. Regularly audit and update third-party scripts to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
SoundCloud
Description
Discover and play over 320 million music tracks. Join the world’s largest online community of artists, bands, DJs, and audio creators.
Key services
Music streaming, Music sharing, Audio content hosting, Community engagement
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
JavaScript, React (inferred from script structure and assets), AWS DNS hosting, Datadome bot protection, Google Analytics, DoubleClick ads, Google Cast SDK
Frameworks
React
Platforms
Web, iOS app, Android app
Performance
fast
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
90/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Use of clientTransferProhibited domain status
  • Bot protection via Datadome
  • Secure cookies
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, ScorecardResearch, Quantserve
Tracking level
extensive
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
DoubleClick
Tracking pixels
ScorecardResearch, Quantserve
Marketing tools
Datadome bot protection, Google Cast SDK
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 rich content and interactive features.
  2. Strong brand presence with consistent logos and metadata.
  3. Use of modern web technologies and security best practices.
  4. Comprehensive privacy and cookie policies present.
  5. No direct company contact emails or phone numbers found on main page; contact via forms.
  6. Multiple external domains used for content delivery and analytics.
  7. Advertising and tracking scripts are present but standard for media platforms.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a modern technology stack including React and AWS infrastructure, delivering fast performance and excellent mobile optimization. The use of advanced bot protection and integration with multiple analytics and advertising services indicates a mature digital infrastructure. The site employs comprehensive meta tags and SEO best practices, ensuring good discoverability. Accessibility features are present, supporting a wide range of users. Technical risks are minimal, with no outdated or vulnerable libraries detected in the provided content. Opportunities exist to further modernize DNS security and enhance transparency around security operations.
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. 70/100 −12Medium19 findingsView report
  2. 82/100 +7Low22 findingsView report
  3. 75/100Medium22 findingsView report
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