zerforschung · Technology · Germany
Medium risk. 4 critical or high findings in SSL/TLS, Security headers and 1 other check.
zerforschung.org is a German-based, volunteer-driven research platform specializing in reverse engineering, security research, and data breach investigations. The website publishes detailed investigative reports primarily in German, with some English content, targeting security researchers, privacy advocates, and the general public interested in data security. The platform operates on a non-profit model supported by donations through Patreon and Steady, positioning itself as a niche independent entity in the cybersecurity media space. Technically, the website is built using the Hugo static site generator, leveraging minimal JavaScript and modern web standards. The site is hosted under a domain registered with INWX GmbH, a reputable German registrar. Performance and mobile optimization are good, though accessibility is basic. The site uses HTTPS but lacks DNSSEC and explicit security headers, indicating room for improvement in security hardening. From a security perspective, the website demonstrates good practices such as HTTPS enforcement and domain transfer protection. However, it lacks a published security policy, incident response contacts, and a vulnerability disclosure framework such as security.txt. The site uses minimal analytics via GoatCounter, respecting user privacy with no intrusive tracking or advertising. Privacy compliance is partial, with a privacy policy present but no cookie consent mechanism. Overall, zerforschung.org is a trustworthy and professional platform with a strong focus on security research and public awareness. Strategic improvements in security headers, DNSSEC, and privacy compliance would enhance its security posture and user trust. The site is safe for general audiences and maintains a high level of content relevance and professionalism.
Scanned
NIS2 Art. 21(2)
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.
4 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.
TLS encrypts the connection and proves the site is really yours. Weak or expiring certificates trigger browser warnings and put traffic at risk.
Could not establish secure connection to retrieve certificate information
What to do: Check if the server is accessible and SSL/TLS is properly configured
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.
Controls resources the browser is allowed to load
What to do: Implement a Content-Security-Policy appropriate for your application
These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.
GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage
What to do: Add a dedicated cookie policy explaining cookie usage and purposes
GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies
What to do: Implement a cookie consent banner that appears on first visit
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Each check with its score, findings and the evidence it collected.
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
Not counted
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.
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
Leaked credentials and lookalike domains from OffSeq Breach. The counts are free; the detailed lists are paid add-ons.
Leaked records that mention zerforschung.org, from OffSeq Breach.
No leaked records found
Breach holds no records for zerforschung.org right now. New leaks arrive continuously, so monitoring on Breach alerts you if that changes.
Business context, site observations and technical notes gathered during the scan, and the standards behind each reference.
Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.
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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