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Security

· 12 checks — HTTP headers, CSP, TLS handshake, and cookie hygiene rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
77
GRADE
C
FIX
2
REVIEW
3
PASS
7
INFO
0
Checks
12
7 PASS 3 REVIEW 2 FIX
D
Content Security Policy
Action
4 of 10 CSP checks passed
FIX
4 of 10 CSP checks passed
Info::
Raw CSP policy
Got: default-src https: 'unsafe-inline' data: blob:; frame-src https: data:; script-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: 'unsafe-inline'; media-src https: 'unsafe-inline' data: blob:; img-src https: http: data: blob:; frame-ancestors https:
Info::
default-src directive is set
Got: default-src https: 'unsafe-inline' data: blob:
Critical::
'unsafe-inline' found in script source
'unsafe-inline' allows inline <script> tags, defeating CSP against XSS. Remove it and use nonces or hashes instead.
Got: script-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: 'unsafe-inline'
Critical::
'unsafe-eval' found in script source
'unsafe-eval' allows eval() and similar functions, enabling code injection. Remove it.
Got: script-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: 'unsafe-inline'
Info::
No wildcard in script source
Info::
object-src falls back to default-src
Warning::
base-uri directive is missing
Without base-uri, attackers can inject a <base> tag to hijack relative URLs. Set it to 'self' or 'none'.
Expected: base-uri 'self'
Info::
frame-ancestors directive is set
Got: frame-ancestors https:
Warning::
form-action directive is missing
form-action restricts where forms can submit data, preventing form hijacking.
Expected: form-action 'self'
Info::
upgrade-insecure-requests is not set
This directive upgrades HTTP resources to HTTPS automatically, preventing mixed content.
Expected: upgrade-insecure-requests

'unsafe-inline' allows inline <script> tags, defeating CSP against XSS. Remove it and use nonces or hashes instead.

Why this matters

Unsafe value (unsafe-inline, unsafe-eval) in script-src defeats CSP's main protection — XSS injections can execute again.

Learn more ▾

unsafe-inline allows inline <script> tags; unsafe-eval allows eval() and similar. Both are necessary for some legacy code but explicitly dangerous. Migrate to nonces (per-page random tokens) or hashes (per-script SHA-256) instead.

Source: OWASP CSP / MDN

'unsafe-eval' allows eval() and similar functions, enabling code injection. Remove it.

Why this matters

Unsafe value (unsafe-inline, unsafe-eval) in script-src defeats CSP's main protection — XSS injections can execute again.

Learn more ▾

unsafe-inline allows inline <script> tags; unsafe-eval allows eval() and similar. Both are necessary for some legacy code but explicitly dangerous. Migrate to nonces (per-page random tokens) or hashes (per-script SHA-256) instead.

Source: OWASP CSP / MDN

Without base-uri, attackers can inject a <base> tag to hijack relative URLs. Set it to 'self' or 'none'.

Expected: base-uri 'self'
Why this matters

Missing base-uri in CSP leaves a base-tag injection attack path open even on otherwise strict policies.

Learn more ▾

A common omission: developers add CSP for script-src and frame-ancestors but forget base-uri. The result is a CSP that looks strict but lets an attacker rewrite every URL on the page via <base href>. Add `base-uri 'self'` to close the gap.

Source: MDN CSP

form-action restricts where forms can submit data, preventing form hijacking.

Expected: form-action 'self'
Why this matters

Security gaps expose your site and users to attacks, eroding trust.

This directive upgrades HTTP resources to HTTPS automatically, preventing mixed content.

Expected: upgrade-insecure-requests
Why this matters

Without upgrade-insecure-requests, any HTTP subresource link survives as a mixed-content warning instead of auto-upgrading.

Learn more ▾

Adding `upgrade-insecure-requests` to your CSP turns every http:// subresource fetch into https:// at the browser layer. One-line defense against accidental mixed content from legacy links or third-party widgets.

Source: MDN CSP

Parsed Policy

default-src https:'unsafe-inline'data:blob:
frame-src https:data:
script-src https:'unsafe-inline''unsafe-eval'blob:'unsafe-inline'
media-src https:'unsafe-inline'data:blob:
img-src https:http:data:blob:
frame-ancestors https:
F
Subresource Integrity
Action
0 of 19 external resources have SRI
FIX
0 of 19 external resources have SRI
Warning::
External script from www.googletagmanager.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-PZJCN8L90Z&cx=c&gtm=4e64e1
Warning::
External script from script.crazyegg.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://script.crazyegg.com/pages/scripts/0131/9866.js
Warning::
External script from cmpv2.independent.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://cmpv2.independent.co.uk/unified/4.40.1/gdpr-tcf.27718c8cb9d29947d2c1.bundle.js
Warning::
External script from securepubads.g.doubleclick.net lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/managed/js/gpt/m202604100101/pubads_impl.js
Warning::
External script from uk-script.dotmetrics.net lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://uk-script.dotmetrics.net/Scripts/ncs-script.js?v=362
Warning::
External script from cmpv2.independent.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://cmpv2.independent.co.uk/unified/wrapperMessagingWithoutDetection.js
Warning::
External script from securepubads.g.doubleclick.net lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js
Warning::
External script from ats-wrapper.privacymanager.io lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://ats-wrapper.privacymanager.io/ats-modules/203e3874-5877-45ec-a8d4-5beaa84bab40/ats.js
Warning::
External script from experianmatch.info lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://experianmatch.info/log.js?publisherid=MP001
Warning::
External script from www.googletagmanager.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=GTM-5XT7NPD
Warning::
External script from cdn-piano.independent.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://cdn-piano.independent.co.uk/api/tinypass.min.js
Warning::
External script from www.npttech.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://www.npttech.com/advertising.js
Warning::
External script from pub.doubleverify.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://pub.doubleverify.com/dvtag/34448457/DV1395182/pub.js
Warning::
External script from www.independent.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://www.independent.co.uk/Agent/GA/UniversalID/IIQUniversalID.js
Warning::
External script from uk-script.dotmetrics.net lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://uk-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?id=6669
Warning::
External script from static.chartbeat.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: //static.chartbeat.com/js/chartbeat_video.js
Warning::
External script from static.chartbeat.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: //static.chartbeat.com/js/chartbeat_mab.js
Warning::
External script from 5d79bce7-5d2b-427e-a6c4-b89b6c7bf048.edge.permutive.app lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://5d79bce7-5d2b-427e-a6c4-b89b6c7bf048.edge.permutive.app/8a36876c-0af1-446c-b4da-51399e9ee198-web.js
Warning::
External script from www.googletagmanager.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-PZJCN8L90Z
SRI Coverage 0 / 19 of external resources have integrity hashes
TagDomainIntegrity
<script>www.googletagmanager.com✗ Missing
<script>script.crazyegg.com✗ Missing
<script>cmpv2.independent.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>securepubads.g.doubleclick.net✗ Missing
<script>uk-script.dotmetrics.net✗ Missing
<script>cmpv2.independent.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>securepubads.g.doubleclick.net✗ Missing
<script>ats-wrapper.privacymanager.io✗ Missing
<script>experianmatch.info✗ Missing
<script>www.googletagmanager.com✗ Missing
<script>cdn-piano.independent.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>www.npttech.com✗ Missing
<script>pub.doubleverify.com✗ Missing
<script>www.independent.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>uk-script.dotmetrics.net✗ Missing
<script>static.chartbeat.com✗ Missing
<script>static.chartbeat.com✗ Missing
<script>5d79bce7-5d2b-427e-a6c4-b89b6c7bf048.edge.permutive.app✗ Missing
<script>www.googletagmanager.com✗ Missing
C
Security Headers
Action
7 of 10 headers properly configured
REVIEW
7 of 10 headers properly configured
Critical::
HSTS header is missing
Strict-Transport-Security forces browsers to use HTTPS, preventing downgrade attacks. Add the header with a max-age of at least 1 year.
Expected: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
Info::
X-Content-Type-Options is properly configured
Got: nosniff
Info::
X-Frame-Options is properly configured
Got: SAMEORIGIN
Info::
Referrer-Policy is properly configured
Got: no-referrer-when-downgrade
Info::
Permissions-Policy is set
Got: camera=(), microphone=(), midi=(), geolocation=(), interest-cohort=()
Info::
Content-Security-Policy is present
Got: default-src https: 'unsafe-inline' data: blob:; frame-src https: data:; script-s…
Warning::
Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy header is missing
COOP isolates your browsing context, preventing cross-origin side-channel attacks. Set to 'same-origin'.
Expected: same-origin
Warning::
Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy header is missing
COEP prevents loading cross-origin resources without explicit permission. Required for SharedArrayBuffer and high-resolution timers.
Expected: require-corp
Info::
X-Powered-By header is not present
Info::
Server header is not present

Strict-Transport-Security forces browsers to use HTTPS, preventing downgrade attacks. Add the header with a max-age of at least 1 year.

Expected: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
Why this matters

Without HSTS, a network attacker can downgrade the very first connection to HTTP and steal the user's session.

Learn more ▾

HSTS tells browsers 'never speak HTTP to this domain again.' Without it, a network attacker (public WiFi, malicious ISP, hostile DNS) intercepts the first HTTP attempt and serves a downgraded version of your site. One header, big surface reduction.

Source: RFC 6797 / OWASP

COOP isolates your browsing context, preventing cross-origin side-channel attacks. Set to 'same-origin'.

Expected: same-origin
Why this matters

COOP isolates your top-level browsing context from cross-origin windows — without it, popup-based side-channel attacks remain possible.

Learn more ▾

Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy: same-origin prevents cross-origin pages from sharing a browsing-context group with yours. This blocks cross-window references that enable Spectre-style timing attacks and tab-nabbing. Required if you want to enable SharedArrayBuffer.

Source: MDN / web.dev

COEP prevents loading cross-origin resources without explicit permission. Required for SharedArrayBuffer and high-resolution timers.

Expected: require-corp
Why this matters

COEP enforces that all embedded resources opt-in to cross-origin embedding — required for cross-origin isolation features.

Learn more ▾

Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy: require-corp ensures every embedded resource (script, iframe, image) explicitly allows being loaded cross-origin. Combined with COOP, this enables the cross-origin-isolated context that unlocks SharedArrayBuffer, high-resolution timers, and other powerful APIs.

Source: MDN / web.dev

C
CORS Configuration
Action
Origin: *
REVIEW
Origin: *
Info::
Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * — unrestricted
Any website can read this resource's response. Appropriate for public APIs but not for user-specific content.
Info::
Origin reflection not testable with a single request
Some servers reflect the request Origin header. This requires manual testing with a crafted Origin header.
CORS Configuration Permissive
Allow-Origin *

Any website can read responses from this resource.

HeaderValueStatus
Access-Control-Allow-Origin*⚠

Origin reflection test

Some servers mirror the request Origin header, which can be exploited. Test manually:

curl -sI -H "Origin: https://evil.com" <url> | grep -i access-control
B
security.txt
Published with 1 contact(s)
REVIEW

security.txt

Contact: mailto:infosec@independent.co.uk
Expires: 2037-12-31T00:00:00z
A+
TLS & Certificates
TLS 1.2, 7 checks passed
PASS
TLS 1.2, 7 checks passed
Info::
TLS 1.2 is used
Got: TLS 1.2
Info::
TLS 1.3 is not negotiated
TLS 1.3 offers improved performance and security. Consider enabling it.
Got: TLS 1.2
Info::
Strong cipher suite is used
Got: TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
Info::
HTTP/2 is not negotiated
HTTP/2 provides multiplexing and header compression for better performance.
Got: http/1.1
Info::
Certificate is valid (expires in 340 days)
Got: 2027-03-22T20:00:18Z
Info::
Certificate chain has 2 certificates
Info::
Certificate uses modern signature algorithm
Got: SHA256-RSA
Info::
Certificate covers 1 domain(s)
Got: independent.co.uk
Info::
Certificate is issued by a trusted CA
Got: CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2026 Q1,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BE

TLS 1.3 offers improved performance and security. Consider enabling it.

Why this matters

TLS 1.3 not in use — connection falls back to 1.2 and pays the extra round-trip.

Learn more ▾

Most clients prefer TLS 1.3 if both sides support it. If your server has TLS 1.3 enabled but it's not being negotiated, check for a downgrade-attack mitigation issue or a misconfigured cipher list. nginx ≥ 1.13.0 and OpenSSL ≥ 1.1.1 support TLS 1.3.

Source: RFC 8446 / Mozilla SSL Config

HTTP/2 provides multiplexing and header compression for better performance.

Why this matters

HTTP/1.1 forces the browser to make sequential requests, multiplying latency on every page.

Learn more ▾

HTTP/2 (and HTTP/3) multiplex many requests over a single connection, eliminating head-of-line blocking. HTTP/1.1 forces the browser to either queue requests or open many parallel connections — both worse. Most modern web servers support HTTP/2 with one config line.

Source: MDN Web Docs

Connection
Protocol
TLS 1.2
Cipher Suite
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
HTTP Version
HTTP/1.1

Certificate Chain

Leaf Certificate
Subject CN=independent.co.ukIssuer CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2026 Q1,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BEValid 2026-02-18T20:00:19Z → 2027-03-22T20:00:18ZExpires in 340 days SANs independent.co.ukSignature SHA256-RSASerial 1654f61f3e5641c00cdefaa96bcb6f9
Intermediate (CA Certificate)
Subject CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2026 Q1,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BEIssuer CN=GlobalSign,OU=GlobalSign Root CA - R3,O=GlobalSignValid 2025-10-15T03:09:08Z → 2027-10-15T00:00:00ZExpires in 547 days Signature SHA256-RSASerial 8471f40b67f0de163dd163a95fa7dac3
A
Cookie Security
1 cookies analyzed, 1 checks passed
PASS
1 cookies analyzed, 1 checks passed
Info::
Cookie 'esi-permutive-id' has the Secure flag
Warning::
Cookie 'esi-permutive-id' is missing the HttpOnly flag
Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft.
Warning::
Cookie 'esi-permutive-id' has no SameSite attribute
Without an explicit SameSite attribute, browser default behavior varies. Set SameSite=Lax or Strict.
1 cookies analyzed 2 warnings
NameSecureHttpOnlySameSiteSizeIssues
esi-permutive-id✓✗—22 B2
A+
JS Library Vulnerabilities
No known vulnerabilities
PASS
No known vulnerabilities
Info::
No known JavaScript library vulnerabilities detected

No known JavaScript library vulnerabilities detected.

A+
Information Leakage
No exposures
PASS
No exposures
Info::
security.txt is present — good practice
Info::
No sensitive files exposed

No sensitive files exposed — all paths returned 404.

PathStatusCategoryRisk
/.git/HEAD✓ Not foundVersion Control—
/.git/config✓ Not foundVersion Control—
/.svn/entries✓ Not foundVersion Control—
/.env✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/.env.local✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/.env.production✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/wp-config.php✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/.htaccess✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/phpinfo.php✓ Not foundDebug—
/server-status✓ Not foundDebug—
/server-info✓ Not foundDebug—
/.well-known/security.txt✗ ExposedSecurity PolicyInfo
A
Email Security
DMARC: quarantine
PASS
DMARC: quarantine
Info::
DMARC policy is quarantine — good protection
DMARC
Policy quarantine — good protection Record v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc_a@dmgmedia.co.uk
A
Permissions-Policy
5 directives, 2 missing
PASS
5 directives, 2 missing
Info::
camera=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
microphone=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
midi=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
geolocation=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
interest-cohort=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
payment not restricted
Consider adding payment=() to block payment access from embedded content.
Info::
usb not restricted
Consider adding usb=() to block usb access from embedded content.

Raw Header

camera=() microphone=() midi=() geolocation=() interest-cohort=()

Feature Permissions

Blocked Self Only Unrestricted Not Set
camera Blocked
microphone Blocked
midi Blocked
geolocation Blocked
interest-cohort Blocked
payment Not Set
usb Not Set
A
Transport Security
HTTP/3, HSTS, and TLS version analysis
PASS
HTTP/3, HSTS, and TLS version analysis
Info::
HTTP/3 (QUIC) supported
The server advertises HTTP/3 via Alt-Svc for faster connections on mobile networks.
Warning::
Missing Strict-Transport-Security header
HSTS tells browsers to only use HTTPS, preventing SSL stripping attacks.
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

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