New version Internet.nl: 'HSTS' and 'enforced HTTPS' do count

News | June 27, 2016

Today (June 27, 2016) the Dutch Internet Standard PLatform launches a new version of the website Internet.nl. From now on, 'HSTS' and 'enforced HTTPS' are part of the score of the website test. This was already announced at the previous release. In addition to this change, the new version of Internet.nl includes several improvements that make testing faster and more stable.

The following improvements have been made on Internet.nl.

Generic

  • The ability to choose a different language from a dropdown menu. Visitors will get the equivalent page in the selected language (if available).
  • The requirement that all name servers must be available over IPv6 has been cancelled. It is sufficient if at least as many name servers are available over IPv6 as there are over IPv4. This applies to both the webite test and the mail test.

Connection test

  • The detection of the internet provider is more precise and timeouts occur less frequent.

Website test

  • The test checks whether a HSTS-policy is available. Through HSTS a web browser will 'know' after the first visit that a website can only be accessed through a secure connection (HTTPS, not HTTP). This can prevent so-called Machine-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, e.g. when using public Wi-Fi. In case of deviations, the message is no longer 'orange' but 'red'.
  • The test now checks whether the website enforces HTTPS by using a server redirect (301 or 302) or by applying only HTTPS (and no HTTP). In case of deviations, the message is no longer 'orange' but 'red'.
  • In the case of some websites, the TLS results incorrectly showed that 'client-initiated renegotiation' was allowed. This has been solved.
  • In the test results of websites with a redirect from IPv6/IPv4 to IPv4-only, the HSTS-policy over IPv6 remained incorrectly undetected. This has been solved.
  • The test now checks whether actual HTTP traffic is sent over port 443. If that is not the case, the test will no longer draw incorrect conclusions which are HTTPS-related .

Mail test

  • If Internet.nl cannot establish a connection to a mail server (e.g. by 'rate limiting'), visitors will now be asked to try again later.
  • Thanks to the improved adjustment of timeouts, failure of the test part 'STARTTLS' is less likely. Therefore certain mail servers can now be tested without problems.
  • Running connections serially and minimizing the number of connections should help to reduce the risk of 'rate limiting' of mail servers. Therefore certain mail servers can now be tested which was not possible before.

Background information

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Frequently asked questions

How can I improve the score of a test?

In the test results, you will find an explanation of our findings for all the (sub)tests. Based on this, you could (let someone) make changes to your web or mailserver or connection.

Additional information can be found in our Knowledge base or our Toolbox Wiki.

Why do other test tools show different results?

Internet.nl attempts to always test against the most recent norms and standards. Additionally, we test as thoroughly as we can realise. This is why our results can differ from other (commonly-used) testing tools.

Some of the norms used in Internet.nl are set by the Dutch government. These can be implemented world-wide (and we recommend it!), but be aware that local regulations may differ from the norms used in Internet.nl.

How can I keep up to date of new developments?

News about Internet.nl is always shared on our website and social media. New versions are announced in a news post with the most important changes. You can also follow our work on the source code, new ideas and contributions are very welcome as well!

Users of our API and dashboard are automatically signed up to a mailing list in which we share updates and organise virtual meetings.

How can I (regularly) test multiple domain names?

This is supported by our dashboard and API. You can request an account here if your organisation fits in the target audience. The dashboard is also open source, so you could host this yourself as well.

In the dashboard, it is possible to enter lists of domain names, which then can be automatically tested on a specified interval. You can opt-in to receive an e-mail for every test result.

Can I join the Dutch Internet Standards Platform?

Where our Platform is focused on Dutch organisations, we are facilitating the Global Internet Standards Testing Community (GISTC) to connect international users of the test tool. You can register yourself for the community via international@internet.nl.

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