Open source release Internet.nl including 'security headers'

News | February 21, 2019

As of today the source code of Internet.nl is available under an open source license, making it possible to verify its workings and run your own local instance. Furthermore we added a new test category for application security options or security headers.

Open source

The software source code of Internet.nl is published under the Apache License, version 2.0 on Github. Internet.nl was made possible by using and combining other open source software. The main open source building blocks of Internet.nl are Python 3, Django, PostgreSQL, Celery, Redis, RabbitMQ, nassl, unbound/libunbound and Postfix. Please see copyright page for further information.

Test for application security options

The website test has a new test category for application security options. These settings can be sent to the browser via HTTP headers and are often referred to as 'security headers'. The new category contains tests for X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, X-XSS-Protection, Content-Security-Policy and Referrer-Policy. For the latter two we check for their existence but do not evaluate the effectivenes of the configured policy. Currently the results of the new tests do not impact the overall score.

About Internet.nl

The test tool Internet.nl is an initiative of the Dutch Internet Standards Platform which is a collaboration of partners from the internet community and the Dutch government. The platform's mission is to jointly promote the use of modern internet standards keeping the internet reliable and accessible for everybody. ECP provides for the administrative home of the platform. NLnet Labs is responsible for the technical realisation and implementation of the test tool.

Release notes

  • New features:
    • New "Security Options" for the website test to check security HTTP headers;
  • Changes:
    • DMARC verification now uses Mozilla's public suffix list for finding the organizational domain;
    • DMARC validation now gives a warning if rua/ruf is not valid;
    • Added link to test explanation on connection results;
    • New way of showing verdict for failed categories;
  • Bug fixes:
    • Fixed DMARC external report addresses and validation when multiple URIs;
    • Ignore MX records that include 'localhost';
    • Home page statistics numbers sometimes weren't adding up;
    • Several content improvements.

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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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