Identity
42
F
darkreading.com
Posture Score: 51/100
Scanned May 8, 2026 at 7:50 AM UTC
Attack Surface
16
Reputation
96
Identity Findings
No SPF record found
The domain has no SPF record, allowing anyone to send email as this domain.
💡 Publish an SPF TXT record (e.g. "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com -all").
No DMARC record found
The domain has no DMARC record, providing no policy for handling unauthenticated email.
💡 Publish a DMARC TXT record at _dmarc.darkreading.com (e.g. "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@darkreading.com").
No DKIM records found
No DKIM records were found for any common selector. Email may not be authenticated.
💡 Configure DKIM signing and publish the public key at <selector>._domainkey.darkreading.com
No MTA-STS record found
Without MTA-STS, mail transport encryption cannot be enforced and is vulnerable to downgrade attacks.
💡 Publish a _mta-sts TXT record and host a policy file at https://mta-sts.darkreading.com/.well-known/mta-sts.txt
STARTTLS without MTA-STS or DANE protection
STARTTLS alone is vulnerable to downgrade attacks. Neither MTA-STS nor DANE is configured to enforce encryption.
💡 Deploy MTA-STS and/or DANE to protect against STARTTLS stripping attacks.
No CAA records found
No CAA records are configured. Any certificate authority can issue certificates for this domain.
💡 Add CAA records to restrict certificate issuance. Example: 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
No TLS-RPT record found
Without TLS-RPT, you will not receive reports about TLS negotiation failures.
💡 Publish a _smtp._tls TXT record (e.g. "v=TLSRPTv1; rua=mailto:tls-reports@darkreading.com").
ARC support not detected
No evidence of ARC (Authenticated Received Chain) support on MX servers. Forwarded messages may lose authentication.
💡 Consider enabling ARC signing on your mail servers to preserve authentication through forwarding.
Shared IP 170.10.132.221 used by multiple MX servers
The IP 170.10.132.221 is shared across 2 MX hostnames, reducing redundancy.
💡 Use unique IP addresses for each MX server for better redundancy.
Shared IP 170.10.132.141 used by multiple MX servers
The IP 170.10.132.141 is shared across 2 MX hostnames, reducing redundancy.
💡 Use unique IP addresses for each MX server for better redundancy.
Shared IP 170.10.132.242 used by multiple MX servers
The IP 170.10.132.242 is shared across 2 MX hostnames, reducing redundancy.
💡 Use unique IP addresses for each MX server for better redundancy.
Very low TTL on MX records: 285s
2 MX records have a TTL of 285s or less (below 300s).
💡 Increase the TTL to at least 300 seconds unless frequent changes are expected.
Very low TTL on TXT records: 285s
8 TXT records have a TTL of 285s or less (below 300s).
💡 Increase the TTL to at least 300 seconds unless frequent changes are expected.
NS TTL mismatch between parent and authoritative zone
The NS record TTL in the parent zone (~7185s) differs significantly from the authoritative zone (~86400s).
💡 Align NS record TTLs between the parent zone delegation and the authoritative zone.
DKIM cryptographic configuration is compliant
No RFC 8301 compliance issues detected in DKIM key configuration.
MX records are valid
All MX records are properly configured.
SMTP security checks passed
No open relay, VRFY/EXPN, or banner disclosure issues detected.
SMTP RFC 5321 compliance checks passed
The mail server accepts postmaster@ and abuse@ and uses a valid FQDN in EHLO.
IPv6 readiness is good
IPv6 records are present and properly configured.
NS delegation is properly configured
All nameservers are responsive, consistent, and properly secured.
DNS responses are consistent across all nameservers
All authoritative nameservers return consistent answers with proper AA flags.
DKIM2 not detected
No DKIM key record with v=2 was found across common selectors. DKIM2 is an emerging standard and not yet widely deployed.
No DANE/TLSA records found
DANE is not configured for any MX server. This is optional but provides strong certificate binding.
No BIMI record found
BIMI is not configured. Your brand logo will not display in supporting email clients.
Open mail ports on us-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
Detected open mail-related ports: 25, 587
RFC 8058 one-click unsubscribe assessment
No DKIM signing detected. RFC 8058 one-click unsubscribe requires DKIM-signed List-Unsubscribe headers.
MX IP network diversity
All MX IPs are in the same /16 network. Consider diversifying across networks for resilience.
SOA record parameters
Serial: 2403677237, Refresh: 10000s, Retry: 2400s, Expire: 604800s, Min TTL: 1800s
Attack Surface Findings
Non-routable IPv4 in public DNS: dev.darkreading.com → 10.41.2.212
The subdomain dev.darkreading.com resolves to non-routable IP 10.41.2.212, leaking internal network information.
💡 Remove non-routable IPs from public DNS or implement split-horizon DNS.
Non-routable IPv4 in public DNS: dev.darkreading.com → 10.41.3.161
The subdomain dev.darkreading.com resolves to non-routable IP 10.41.3.161, leaking internal network information.
💡 Remove non-routable IPs from public DNS or implement split-horizon DNS.
Non-routable IPv4 in public DNS: dev.darkreading.com → 10.41.0.73
The subdomain dev.darkreading.com resolves to non-routable IP 10.41.0.73, leaking internal network information.
💡 Remove non-routable IPs from public DNS or implement split-horizon DNS.
NSEC records enable zone walking
The domain uses NSEC records for DNSSEC authenticated denial of existence. NSEC records can be walked to enumerate all names in the zone, effectively disclosing the entire zone contents.
💡 Switch from NSEC to NSEC3 with opt-out to prevent zone enumeration. Use NSEC3 with a random salt and sufficient iterations.
Domain enumerability: high
The domain is highly enumerable. Zone transfers, NSEC zone walking, or a combination of factors make it easy to discover all DNS records.
💡 Restrict zone transfers, use NSEC3 instead of NSEC, consider wildcard certificates to reduce CT log exposure, and implement rate limiting on DNS queries.
Non-responsive IP for www.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:deab
The subdomain www.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:deab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:deab is operational or remove the DNS record for www.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for www.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:ddab
The subdomain www.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:ddab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:ddab is operational or remove the DNS record for www.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for www.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:dfab
The subdomain www.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:dfab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:dfab is operational or remove the DNS record for www.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for www.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:e0ab
The subdomain www.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:e0ab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:e0ab is operational or remove the DNS record for www.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for www.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:e1ab
The subdomain www.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:e1ab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:e1ab is operational or remove the DNS record for www.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for staging.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:deab
The subdomain staging.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:deab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:deab is operational or remove the DNS record for staging.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for staging.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:dfab
The subdomain staging.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:dfab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:dfab is operational or remove the DNS record for staging.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for staging.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:e1ab
The subdomain staging.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:e1ab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:e1ab is operational or remove the DNS record for staging.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for staging.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:ddab
The subdomain staging.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:ddab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:ddab is operational or remove the DNS record for staging.darkreading.com.
Non-responsive IP for staging.darkreading.com: 2606:4700::6810:e0ab
The subdomain staging.darkreading.com resolves to 2606:4700::6810:e0ab which is not responding on ports 80 or 443. This may indicate a decommissioned server.
💡 Verify the server at 2606:4700::6810:e0ab is operational or remove the DNS record for staging.darkreading.com.
NSEC used instead of NSEC3 (zone enumeration possible)
The domain uses NSEC records for authenticated denial of existence. NSEC allows zone walking.
💡 Migrate from NSEC to NSEC3 to prevent zone enumeration.
No email autodiscovery endpoints detected
No Microsoft Autodiscover, Mozilla Autoconfig, or email SRV records were found.
3 subdomain(s) discovered for darkreading.com
Subdomains were enumerated via Certificate Transparency logs, DNS wordlist brute-forcing, and DNS record analysis.
0 certificate(s) found in CT logs
Certificate Transparency logs contain 0 certificate(s) for darkreading.com and its subdomains. Each certificate reveals subdomain names.
DNSSEC is enabled
DNSKEY and/or DS records are present, indicating DNSSEC is configured.
Reputation Findings
Missing Strict-Transport-Security on darkreading.com
The Strict-Transport-Security header is not set on https://darkreading.com.
💡 Add the Strict-Transport-Security header with a max-age of at least 31536000 (1 year) and include the includeSubDomains directive.
security.txt present
Found security.txt at https://darkreading.com/.well-known/security.txt.
TLS certificate valid for 60 days
Certificate for darkreading.com expires on 2026-07-07.
Certificate issued by WE1
The certificate for darkreading.com is issued by a third-party CA.
Signature algorithm: ecdsa-with-sha256
The certificate for darkreading.com uses an acceptable signature algorithm.
ECC key: 256 bits
The certificate for darkreading.com uses an adequate ECC key of 256 bits.
SCTs present in certificate
The certificate for darkreading.com contains Signed Certificate Timestamps.
No weak ciphers detected
No known weak cipher suites detected on darkreading.com.
Domain valid for 70 days
Domain darkreading.com expires on 2026-07-17.
Domain transfer and delete locks enabled
Domain darkreading.com has clientTransferProhibited and clientDeleteProhibited locks.
Google Safe Browsing DNS check — no flag detected
DNS-based Safe Browsing lookup returned no results. Full verification requires the Google Safe Browsing API key.
Abuse contact lookup failed
Could not query abuse contact information.
PhishTank — API key required
PhishTank phishing database check requires an API key.
Sender Score — API key required
Sender Score reputation check requires an API key.
Cisco Talos — API key required
Cisco Talos IP reputation check requires an API key.
Could not connect to webmail.darkreading.com
HTTPS request to https://webmail.darkreading.com failed or timed out.
WHOIS registration data
Registrar: SafeNames Ltd. | Created: 2003-07-17 | Expires: 2026-07-17 | Updated: 2025-07-17
WHOIS privacy protection enabled
Domain darkreading.com has WHOIS privacy/redaction enabled.
Dependency Chains
DMARC Authentication Chain (SPF)
DMARC uses SPF to verify that emails come from authorized servers
SPF Record
SPF record missing
→
DMARC Policy
DMARC policy missing
⚠️ SPF record is missing. DMARC relies on SPF to verify sender authorization. Without SPF, DMARC alignment will fail, reducing email deliverability and brand protection.
DMARC Authentication Chain (DKIM)
DMARC uses DKIM to verify that emails have not been tampered with
DKIM Signature
DKIM signature missing
→
DMARC Policy
DMARC policy missing
⚠️ DKIM signature is missing. DMARC relies on DKIM to verify email integrity and prevent tampering. Without DKIM, DMARC alignment will fail for cryptographic verification.
Mail Server Identity: us-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
PTR record proves mail server legitimacy
MX: us-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
Mail server at 170.10.132.221
→
PTR Record
Reverse DNS: us-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
Mail Server Identity: us-smtp-inbound-2.mimecast.com
PTR record proves mail server legitimacy
MX: us-smtp-inbound-2.mimecast.com
Mail server at 170.10.132.221
→
PTR Record
Reverse DNS: us-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
Mail Server Reputation: us-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
RBL check ensures server is not blacklisted
MX: us-smtp-inbound-1.mimecast.com
Mail server at 170.10.132.221
→
RBL Status
Not blacklisted
Mail Server Reputation: us-smtp-inbound-2.mimecast.com
RBL check ensures server is not blacklisted
MX: us-smtp-inbound-2.mimecast.com
Mail server at 170.10.132.221
→
RBL Status
Not blacklisted
Enforced Encryption Chain
MTA-STS enforces TLS encryption to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks
TLS Support
Mail servers support TLS encryption
→
MTA-STS Policy
MTA-STS not configured
⚠️ MTA-STS policy is missing. Even with TLS support, you lack the enforcement layer that prevents attackers from stripping encryption (downgrade attacks).
Brand Identity Chain
BIMI displays your logo in email clients, but requires DMARC enforcement
DMARC Enforcement
DMARC not enforced (p=none or missing)
→
BIMI Record
BIMI not configured
⚠️ DMARC is not enforced. BIMI requires a DMARC policy of "quarantine" or "reject" to prove you have strong email authentication. Without enforcement, email clients will not display your logo.
TLS Monitoring Chain
TLS-RPT provides reports about TLS connection failures
TLS Support
Mail servers support TLS encryption
→
TLS-RPT Reporting
TLS-RPT not configured
⚠️ TLS-RPT is not configured. Without TLS reporting, you have no visibility into TLS connection failures that may be impacting email delivery.
Security Checks
MX Records
✓
SPF Record
✗
DKIM Record
✗
DMARC Policy
✗
BIMI Record
✗
CAA Records
✗
DNSSEC
✓
MTA-STS
✗
TLS-RPT
✗
Embed Badge
Display your domain's security grade on your website or README:
<img src="https://scan.ractermx.com/badge/darkreading.com.svg" alt="Email Security Grade">
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