Analysis for

smudge.co.za favicon smudge.co.za

68
Flare Score
Warning

FlareAI™ Summary

Smudge.co.za, a South African software development company specializing in custom business solutions, presents a moderate risk profile. A valid SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt secures data in transit. The domain is clean on all trusted blacklists, including Google Safe Browsing, which is a positive indicator. Using WordPress, React, and Angular, the site achieves a FlareScore of 68/100, suggesting users exercise caution while interacting with the website.

-9.2%
than category average
South Africa
Server Country
Unknown
Domain Age

Score Breakdown

How we calculated the Flare Score based on positive and negative signals.

Positive Signals

Valid SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt
Not found on any blacklist (1 sources checked)
Modern security headers configured (HSTS, CSP)
Active social media presence
Contact information available
Built with WordPress (established platform)

Negative Signals

Very new domain (less than 3 months old)

Pro Tip: A valid SSL certificate is a basic requirement for any trustworthy site, but it doesn't guarantee the site is not a scam.

SSL & Security

SSL certificate and security headers configuration

Security Score
80/100
⚠ SSL Expired (20) ✓ HSTS (20) ✓ CSP (20) ✓ X-Frame (20)

SSL Certificate

Issuer
Let's Encrypt
Valid From
Dec 08, 2025
Valid Until
Mar 08, 2026
Certificate Expired

Security Headers

HSTS
CSP
X-Frame-Options

How Was This Calculated?

Transparency into our FlareScore™ methodology and data sources used for this analysis.

smudge.co.za Analysis

FlareScore™: 68/100 (Warning Risk)

Our analysis of smudge.co.za identified 6 positive security indicators and 1 potential concerns. The FlareScore™ rating combines technical security measures, domain reputation, and content analysis.

SSL Certificate Analysis
AI Content Review
8 DNS Records
Analysis Sources
  • • SSL: Let's Encrypt
  • • DNS: 8 records analyzed
  • • Content: Visual & text analysis
Last Checked

Feb 21, 2026
2 months ago

Transparency Note: Our analysis is based on publicly available data and automated scanning. For detailed methodology and accuracy metrics, visit our methodology page.

DNS Configuration

Domain Name System records and email security configuration

Email Security
SPF
DKIM
DMARC
Basic
1
A
1
MX
2
TXT
3
NS

HTTP Headers

Key server response headers for security analysis.

Security (7)
HSTS
Content Security Policy
XSS Filter
Clickjacking Protection
MIME Sniffing Protection
Referrer Policy
Permissions Policy
Web Server
nginx
Cache Policy
max-age=0

IP Geolocation

Server location and network information

South Africa
South Africa
Pretoria
IP Address
156.38.154.7
ISP / Hosting
Xneelo (Pty) Ltd
Coordinates
-25.757, 28.1443
Country Code
ZA

Email Configuration

Email security and authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

Performance Metrics

Website loading speed and performance analysis

53
Average
Load Time
3.17s
Good
Page Size
0.13MB
Optimized
Requests
105
Many
Overall
53/100
Performance score

Good performance, but there's room for optimization to improve loading speed.

Blacklist Check

Checking if this domain is listed on major security blacklists.

Google Safe Browsing
Safe

Discovered Subdomains

Publicly accessible subdomains associated with this domain.

www.smudge.co.za
ftp.smudge.co.za

Privacy & Trackers

2 Trackers Found
Google Tag Manager
General
Google DoubleClick
General

These trackers may be used for analytics, advertising, or site functionality.

Website Screenshot

smudge.co.za screenshot

In-Depth Analysis

Overview

Smudge.co.za is a software development company based in South Africa. They specialize in custom-developed business solutions using technology. Their website is built using popular technologies like WordPress, React, and Angular.

Security Assessment

The website utilizes a valid SSL certificate issued by Let's Encrypt, ensuring encrypted communication between the user and the server. The certificate is valid until March 2026. This indicates a commitment to basic security practices. Critically, Google Safe Browsing reports a clean status, a strong positive signal indicating no known malware or phishing activity associated with the domain.

Trust Level

The FlareScore of 68/100 indicates a warning level of trust. While the SSL certificate and clean Google Safe Browsing status are positive, the lack of a privacy policy and the presence of trackers likely contribute to the lower score.

Recommendations

While Smudge.co.za doesn't handle logins or payments, users should still exercise caution. The absence of a privacy policy is concerning, making it unclear how user data is collected and used. Consider using privacy-focused browser extensions to limit tracking. Contact Smudge.co.za directly for details on their data handling practices.

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