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Security report for thecma.ca

Canadian Marketing Association · Other · Canada

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

Security score

73/100

Risk levelMedium

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

The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) is a well-established professional association founded in 2014, serving as the leading voice and resource hub for marketing professionals across Canada. The organization offers a broad range of services including membership, professional development courses, certifications such as the Chartered Marketer designation, advocacy initiatives, and industry events. The CMA positions itself as a catalyst for marketing excellence and business success in Canada, supported by major corporate sponsors and a strong digital presence. The website content is rich with educational resources, event information, and community engagement opportunities targeted at marketing professionals and students.

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

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 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';…

  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 thecma.ca

This scan found 20 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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  • 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
82
Security headers
15
Email security
80
DNS health
85
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
73
Average
73

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

CMA operates a membership-driven business model focused on professional development and industry advocacy. Its competitive advantage lies in its comprehensive offerings including fully funded certification programs, a large marketing community, and partnerships with major financial and technology firms. The organization targets marketing professionals, students, and organizations seeking to enhance marketing standards and influence government policy. The presence of multiple sponsors and a dedicated job bank indicates a robust partnership ecosystem and diversified revenue streams. The CMA's digital platform supports its growth through online courses, events, and networking tools, reflecting a mature and evolving business operation.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a solid security posture with HTTPS enforced and domain registration protections in place. However, DNSSEC is not enabled, and there is no evidence of advanced security headers or published security policies. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected. The absence of a vulnerability disclosure policy and incident response contact information suggests room for improvement in transparency and readiness. Overall, the security measures are adequate for a professional association but could be enhanced to align with best practices and compliance requirements.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC to strengthen DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Implement security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to mitigate common web vulnerabilities.
  3. Publish a clear security policy and incident response contact details to improve transparency and trust.
  4. Develop and publicize a vulnerability disclosure program or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  5. Regularly audit third-party scripts and tracking tools to minimize privacy risks and ensure compliance with evolving regulations.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Canadian Marketing Association
Description
The Canadian Marketing Association provides thought leadership and professional development for marketers, and is the advocates for marketing with government.
Key services
Membership, Events Calendar, CMA Awards, Learning Hub and Courses, Advocacy Initiatives, Resources and Research, Networking and Community Platforms
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
jQuery 3.6.3, Bootstrap 4, Formstone Carousel, AOS (Animate On Scroll), Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Hotjar, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Twitter Universal Website Tag, Vimeo Player
Frameworks
Sitefinity CMS 14.4.8144.0
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
75/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Domain status includes clientDeleteProhibited, clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of Google Tag Manager and other tracking scripts loaded asynchronously

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, Hotjar, Siteimprove Analytics, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Facebook Pixel, Twitter Universal Website Tag
Tracking level
extensive
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Google Ads, Twitter Ads, Facebook Ads
Tracking pixels
Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Twitter Universal Website Tag, Hotjar
Marketing tools
Hotjar
Transparency
good

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is professionally designed and well-structured.
  2. Strong focus on marketing professionals and education.
  3. Multiple upcoming events and learning opportunities listed.
  4. Use of modern web technologies and analytics tools.
  5. No exposed sensitive information or obvious security issues.
  6. Privacy and cookie policies are present and accessible.
  7. No explicit contact emails or phone numbers publicly listed; contact via form.
  8. Social media presence on major platforms is active.
  9. No terms of service page found.
  10. No explicit security or incident response policies found.
Technical notes

Notes

The CMA website is built on the Sitefinity CMS platform, leveraging modern web technologies including jQuery, Bootstrap 4, and various analytics and marketing tools such as Google Tag Manager, Hotjar, and social media pixels. The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and SEO-friendly with proper meta tags and structured navigation. Performance is moderate, with asynchronous loading of scripts to enhance user experience. The technical infrastructure is supported by a reputable registrar and likely hosted on Azure, indicating a reliable hosting environment. Opportunities exist to improve security configurations and streamline third-party dependencies to reduce technical debt and enhance site resilience.
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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