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Is vcsu.edu a Scam? Security Check Results - Valley City State University

vcsu.edu Security Report Summary

vcsu.edu received a security score of 60 out of 100 in Guard's comprehensive security analysis, classified as "Moderate Risk". This report covers Valley City State University's website security posture. Valley City State University operates in the Education industry in United States.

Valley City State University (VCSU) is a public higher education institution located in Valley City, North Dakota, with a rich history dating back to 1890. The university offers a broad range of academic programs including undergraduate, graduate, online, and continuing education, serving a diverse student body. VCSU positions itself as a student-focused, learning-centered institution within the North Dakota University System, emphasizing immersive experiences and career readiness. The website reflects this mission with comprehensive academic information, student life resources, and community engagement content. Technically, the website is built on WordPress 6.9.4 and leverages modern web technologies such as Bootstrap, jQuery, Google Tag Manager, and Google Analytics. The site is mobile optimized, accessible, and performs moderately well. It integrates multiple external services for analytics, advertising, and accessibility enhancements. However, some security best practices such as security headers and cookie consent mechanisms are not fully implemented. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with a presumably strong SSL configuration. There are no visible vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data in the HTML content. The absence of a published security policy, incident response contacts, or vulnerability disclosure mechanisms suggests room for improvement in security transparency and compliance. The WHOIS data query for the subdomain 'www.vcsu.edu' failed, but this is likely due to querying a subdomain rather than the root domain 'vcsu.edu'. This does not significantly detract from the legitimacy of the institution but slightly reduces trust in domain registration transparency. Overall, VCSU's website is professional, content-rich, and trustworthy, serving its educational mission effectively. Strategic recommendations include implementing cookie consent for privacy compliance, adding security headers, publishing security and incident response polici…

The security scan identified 31 findings across security headers, SSL/TLS, DNS health, email security, GDPR compliance, and NIS2 compliance analysis modules.

Technologies detected: WordPress 6.9.4, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Google Custom Search Engine, Bootstrap 4.2.1, jQuery 3.6.0, Ekko Lightbox, Owl Carousel, Lity Lightbox, Silktide analytics, Ally accessibility tools.

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 vcsu.edu Safe? Security Analysis for Valley City State University

https://www.vcsu.edu/

Check if vcsu.edu is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

EducationUnited Statesmedium
WordPress 6.9.4Google Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Custom Search EngineBootstrap 4.2.1+6 more
Analyzed Completed
60
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

Above Education avg (55)

GDPR-aligned

Data handling

EU

Hosting region

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AI Summary

Valley City State University (VCSU) is a public higher education institution located in Valley City, North Dakota, with a rich history dating back to 1890. The university offers a broad range of academic programs including undergraduate, graduate, online, and continuing education, serving a diverse student body. VCSU positions itself as a student-focused, learning-centered institution within the North Dakota University System, emphasizing immersive experiences and career readiness. The website reflects this mission with comprehensive academic information, student life resources, and community engagement content. Technically, the website is built on WordPress 6.9.4 and leverages modern web technologies such as Bootstrap, jQuery, Google Tag Manager, and Google Analytics. The site is mobile optimized, accessible, and performs moderately well. It integrates multiple external services for analytics, advertising, and accessibility enhancements. However, some security best practices such as security headers and cookie consent mechanisms are not fully implemented. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with a presumably strong SSL configuration. There are no visible vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data in the HTML content. The absence of a published security policy, incident response contacts, or vulnerability disclosure mechanisms suggests room for improvement in security transparency and compliance. The WHOIS data query for the subdomain 'www.vcsu.edu' failed, but this is likely due to querying a subdomain rather than the root domain 'vcsu.edu'. This does not significantly detract from the legitimacy of the institution but slightly reduces trust in domain registration transparency. Overall, VCSU's website is professional, content-rich, and trustworthy, serving its educational mission effectively. Strategic recommendations include implementing cookie consent for privacy compliance, adding security headers, publishing security and incident response polici…

Detected Technologies

WordPress 6.9.4Google Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Custom Search EngineBootstrap 4.2.1jQuery 3.6.0Ekko LightboxOwl CarouselLity LightboxSilktide analyticsAlly accessibility tools

12 urgent findings need attention

12 high

  • + 4 more findings in the full report below
Continuous monitoring

Keep vcsu.edu 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

82/100

DNS Health

2 findings

85/100

Email Security

4 findings

80/100

SSL/TLS Security

4 findings

67/100

🧠AI Business Intelligence

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

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

VCSU operates as a regional public university within the education sector, targeting students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as continuing education learners. Its competitive advantage lies in its student-centered approach, diverse academic offerings, and integration within the North Dakota University System. Revenue streams likely include tuition, state funding, donations, and grants. The university maintains partnerships with local communities and alumni networks, as evidenced by linked domains and social media presence. Growth indicators include ongoing capital campaigns and facility expansions such as the Tharaldson Family Athletic Center. The website content and structure support recruitment, engagement, and community outreach effectively.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The security posture of the VCSU website is moderate to good. HTTPS is enforced, and multiple verification mechanisms (Google, Facebook) are in place, indicating domain ownership control. However, the lack of security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options reduces protection against common web attacks. No vulnerability disclosure or incident response information is published, which limits transparency and preparedness. The site does not display cookie consent banners, which may impact GDPR compliance. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the HTML content. Overall, the site is secure but could benefit from enhanced security controls and compliance measures.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement comprehensive security headers (CSP, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options) to mitigate common web vulnerabilities.

Observations

Comprehensive website and business-context analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Valley City State University

Description:

Valley City State University takes pride in helping you become the person you want to be. It's a great time to be a VCSU Viking! Rooted in tradition since 1890, Valley City State University supports students throughout their journey and is part of the North Dakota University System.

Key Services:
Undergraduate programsGraduate programsOnline educationContinuing educationAthleticsStudent life and residence services
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
WordPress 6.9.4Google Tag ManagerGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Custom Search EngineBootstrap 4.2.1jQuery 3.6.0Ekko LightboxOwl CarouselLity LightboxSilktide analyticsAlly accessibility tools
Frameworks:
Bootstrap
Platforms:
WordPress
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enabled
  • Google site verification
  • Facebook domain verification
  • Use of Google Tag Manager and analytics scripts with async loading

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Google AnalyticsSilktide analytics
Tracking Level:moderate
Privacy Compliance:basic

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
Simpli.fiBrandcdn
Tracking Pixels:
Simpli.fiBrandcdn
Marketing Tools:
Silktide analytics
Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

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

Key Observations

1

Website is fully accessible with rich content and multimedia.

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🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

30/100
Score

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

35/100
Score

No Privacy Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires a clear and accessible privacy policy

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

Third-party services without privacy policy

HIGH

Detected services: Google Analytics, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Cloudflare, Google APIs

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy0% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
phone

🛡️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: transport, banking, health, digital

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📧Email Security

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

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

80/100
Score

Complex SPF record

LOW

Too many include statements can cause lookup limits

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:sendgrid.net include:mbssmtp.mbsbooks.com include:us._extnetblocks.mimecast.com include:mh.blackboard.com include:amazonses.com ip4:208.91.112.0/20 ip4:165.234.0.0/16 ip4:134.129.0.0/16 ip6:2001:4930::/36 ip4:64.74.237.230/31 ip4:216.147.212.20/30 ip4:38.106.32.22/32 ip4:38.106.32.46/32 ip4:207.211.31.0/24 ip4:63.241.150.0/24 ip4:205.139.21.0/24 ip4:148.163.128.0/17 ~all
DNS Lookups:6/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:selector1(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:selector2(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:s1(1464-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:quarantine
Aggregate Reports:[email protected]

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

67/100
Score

Weak Protocols Supported

HIGH

Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

OCSP Stapling Not Enabled

LOW

OCSP stapling improves performance and privacy

Certificate Transparency Not Implemented

LOW

Certificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

6 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

Protocol Support

TLSv1.3TLSv1.2TLSv1.1

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

85/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

Domain Registration Details

Expiry Risk
none(727 days)

DNS Records

A Records:134.129.3.141, 134.129.3.140
Name Servers:
ns1.ext.ndus.eduDNS only
ns1.ndus.eduDNS only
ns2.ext.ndus.eduDNS only
ns2.ndus.eduDNS only
vcsu-infoblox.ndus.eduDNS only
MX Records:
1: vcsu-edu.mail.protection.outlook.com
SOA:Serial: 28900205, TTL: 900s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:18ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:sendgrid.net include:mbssmtp.mbsbooks.com include:us._extnetblocks.mimecast.com include:mh.blackboard.com include:amazonses.com ip4:208.91.112.0/20 ip4:165.234.0.0/16 ip4:134.129.0.0/16 ip6:2001:4930::/36 ip4:64.74.237.230/31 ip4:216.147.212.20/30 ip4:38.106.32.22/32 ip4:38.106.32.46/32 ip4:207.211.31.0/24 ip4:63.241.150.0/24 ip4:205.139.21.0/24 ip4:148.163.128.0/17 ~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 vcsu.edu compare?

See how vcsu.edu 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 modern WordPress CMS platform with version 6.9.4, utilizing Bootstrap 4.2.1 for responsive design and jQuery for interactivity. It integrates Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics for tracking and marketing purposes. The site uses several third-party libraries for UI components such as Owl Carousel, Ekko Lightbox, and Lity Lightbox. Accessibility is enhanced with Ally tools. Performance is moderate, with asynchronous loading of scripts and preloading of fonts. The site is mobile optimized and SEO friendly with proper meta tags and structured data (JSON-LD). Technical risks include missing security headers and lack of cookie consent mechanisms, which could impact compliance and security posture.
Professional Report

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Optional add-ons

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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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