Identity
27
C
usatoday.com
Posture Score: 72/100
Scanned May 27, 2026 at 1:04 PM UTC
Attack Surface
95
Reputation
94
Identity Findings
No NS records found
No nameserver records could be retrieved for this domain.
💡 Ensure NS records are properly configured at your registrar and in your zone file.
Weak DKIM RSA key (~1296 bits) for selector 's2'
RSA keys shorter than 2048 bits are considered weak. Current key is approximately 1296 bits.
💡 Generate a new 2048-bit (or larger) RSA key pair and update the DKIM record.
Weak DKIM RSA key (~1296 bits) for selector 'smtpapi'
RSA keys shorter than 2048 bits are considered weak. Current key is approximately 1296 bits.
💡 Generate a new 2048-bit (or larger) RSA key pair and update the DKIM record.
Weak DKIM RSA key (~1296 bits) for selector 'mandrill'
RSA keys shorter than 2048 bits are considered weak. Current key is approximately 1296 bits.
💡 Generate a new 2048-bit (or larger) RSA key pair and update the DKIM record.
Subdomains have no DMARC enforcement
No sp= tag set and p=none. Subdomains inherit the monitoring-only policy, leaving them open to spoofing.
💡 Add sp=reject (or sp=quarantine) to your DMARC record to protect subdomains.
Cannot check DNS consistency — no NS records
No nameserver records could be retrieved for consistency checking.
💡 Ensure NS records are properly configured.
DMARC policy is monitoring-only (p=none)
The p=none policy only monitors; it does not instruct receivers to quarantine or reject unauthenticated mail.
💡 Upgrade to p=quarantine or p=reject after reviewing aggregate reports.
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.usatoday.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@usatoday.com").
Very low TTL on MX record: 60s
The MX record has a TTL of 60s or less (below 300s).
💡 Increase the TTL to at least 300 seconds unless frequent changes are expected.
SPF record is valid
The SPF record is properly configured with valid syntax and within lookup limits.
SPF record length OK (209 bytes)
SPF record is within safe DNS packet size limits.
DKIM cryptographic configuration is compliant
No RFC 8301 compliance issues detected in DKIM key configuration.
DKIM key strength indicates modern key management
All DKIM keys use RSA-2048+ or Ed25519, consistent with current best practices.
All external report destinations authorized
External DMARC report destinations have valid authorization records per RFC 7489 §7.1.
No deprecated DMARCbis tags present
The DMARC record does not use any tags deprecated in DMARCbis (pct, rf, ri).
MX records are valid
All MX records are properly configured.
ARC support likely available
MX server software appears to support ARC headers for authentication preservation.
Meets bulk sender authentication requirements
Domain has SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — meeting Google/Yahoo 2024 bulk sender requirements for email authentication.
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.
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.
DMARC alignment: adkim=r, aspf=r
DKIM alignment is relaxed, SPF alignment is relaxed.
DMARCbis np tag absent
The DMARC record does not include the np (non-existent subdomain policy) tag. Consider adding np=reject to protect non-existent subdomains under DMARCbis.
DMARCbis psd tag absent
The DMARC record does not include the psd (public suffix domain) indicator. Consider adding psd=n to explicitly identify this as an organizational domain.
REQUIRETLS not advertised
The primary MX does not advertise REQUIRETLS (RFC 8689). This is an emerging standard — MTA-STS and DANE provide adequate TLS enforcement for most deployments.
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 usatoday-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
Detected open mail-related ports: 25
RFC 8058 one-click unsubscribe assessment
DKIM signing is configured. RFC 8058 compliance depends on List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers being included in outbound messages and DKIM signatures.
MX IP network diversity
All MX IPs are in the same /16 network. Consider diversifying across networks for resilience.
SOA record parameters
Serial: 1659511137, Refresh: 1200s, Retry: 600s, Expire: 604800s, Min TTL: 4800s
Attack Surface Findings
DNSSEC is not enabled
No DNSKEY or DS records were found. DNS responses are not cryptographically authenticated.
💡 Enable DNSSEC by generating DNSKEY records and publishing DS records at the registrar.
Domain enumerability: low
The domain has low enumerability. Proper NSEC3 configuration and limited CT exposure reduce the attack surface.
No subdomain takeover risks detected
All checked subdomains have valid, responsive targets.
All MX records resolve correctly
No dangling MX records detected — all MX hostnames resolve to valid IP addresses.
Explicit MX records present
The domain has explicit MX records — no implicit A-record fallback delivery.
No internal information leakage detected
No non-routable IP addresses or internal references were found in public DNS records.
No excessive DNS information exposure detected
No HINFO, LOC, RP records, version disclosures, or zone walking vulnerabilities were found.
5 subdomain(s) discovered for usatoday.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 usatoday.com and its subdomains. Each certificate reveals subdomain names.
Wildcard DNS record detected
A wildcard DNS record exists for *.usatoday.com, resolving to 151.101.194.189, 151.101.66.189, 151.101.2.189, 151.101.130.189. Wildcard records make subdomain brute-forcing less effective but may mask misconfigurations.
Mozilla Autoconfig endpoint detected
The Autoconfig endpoint at autoconfig.usatoday.com is publicly accessible.
Reputation Findings
Wildcard MX records detected
Domain usatoday.com has wildcard MX records, which can be abused for spam or phishing.
💡 Remove wildcard MX records and configure explicit MX entries only for legitimate mail-handling subdomains.
HSTS enabled but missing preload directive on usatoday.com
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=600
💡 Add the "preload" directive to the HSTS header and submit the domain to hstspreload.org.
HSTS enabled but missing preload directive on webmail.usatoday.com
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=600
💡 Add the "preload" directive to the HSTS header and submit the domain to hstspreload.org.
Not listed on any DNS blacklists
Domain and MX IPs checked against 55 DNSBLs — no listings found.
security.txt present
Found security.txt at https://usatoday.com/.well-known/security.txt.
TLS certificate valid for 36 days
Certificate for usatoday.com expires on 2026-07-03.
Certificate issued by R13
The certificate for usatoday.com is issued by a third-party CA.
Signature algorithm: rsa-sha256
The certificate for usatoday.com uses an acceptable signature algorithm.
RSA key: 2048 bits
The certificate for usatoday.com uses an adequate RSA key of 2048 bits.
SCTs present in certificate
The certificate for usatoday.com contains Signed Certificate Timestamps.
No weak ciphers detected
No known weak cipher suites detected on usatoday.com.
Domain valid for 337 days
Domain usatoday.com expires on 2027-04-30.
Domain transfer and delete locks enabled
Domain usatoday.com has clientTransferProhibited and clientDeleteProhibited locks.
No disposable email provider MX records
MX records for usatoday.com do not match known disposable email provider patterns.
Domain is 11716 days old
Domain usatoday.com was registered 1994-04-29.
TLD has good reputation
The .com TLD is not on known abuse watchlists.
DMARC reporting destinations look legitimate
DMARC rua/ruf addresses do not point to known URL shortener services.
MX records point to stable infrastructure
No MX records point to known dynamic DNS service domains.
Strong TLS configuration on primary MX
Primary MX (usatoday-com.mail.protection.outlook.com) uses TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 including Forward Secrecy.
SMTP banner from hosted mail provider
The MX (usatoday-com.mail.protection.outlook.com) is a hosted mail service. Banner alignment is managed by the provider and not actionable by the domain owner.
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 contacts found for MX IPs
Abuse contact information retrieved via abusix.org DNS lookup.
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.
WHOIS registration data
Registrar: GoDaddy Corporate Domains, LLC | Created: 1994-04-29 | Expires: 2027-04-30 | Updated: 2026-03-31
WHOIS privacy protection not detected
Domain usatoday.com does not appear to have WHOIS privacy protection. Registrant details may be publicly visible.
Bulletproof Hosting Detection — API key required
Checking IPs against known bulletproof hosting providers requires a threat intelligence API key.
Threat Intelligence Feeds — API key required
Checking domain against threat intelligence feeds requires API keys (e.g., VirusTotal, AbuseIPDB).
Typosquat detected: satoday.com (has MX!), uatoday.com (has MX!), usaoday.com (has MX!), usatday.com (has MX!), usatody.com (has MX!)
24 registered lookalike domain(s) that could be used for phishing against your brand. Showing top 5 of 24. Domains with MX records can send and receive email, making them high-risk phishing vectors.
Dependency Chains
DMARC Authentication Chain (SPF)
DMARC uses SPF to verify that emails come from authorized servers
SPF Record
SPF record found and configured
→
DMARC Policy
DMARC policy: none
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: none
⚠️ 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: usatoday-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
PTR record proves mail server legitimacy
MX: usatoday-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
Mail server at 52.101.10.14
→
PTR Record
Reverse DNS: mail-bn6pr04cu00206.inbound.protection.outlook.com
Mail Server Reputation: usatoday-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
RBL check ensures server is not blacklisted
MX: usatoday-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
Mail server at 52.101.10.14
→
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
Mode:
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/usatoday.com.svg" alt="Email Security Grade">
Want to re-scan this domain for updated results?
Scan usatoday.com Again