MDN Observatory is a web‑security assessment tool that runs directly on the Mozilla Developer Network, providing developers with an automated score and actionable guidance.
Revised Scoring Metrics
The new algorithm aligns with current industry recommendations and evaluates a broader set of headers and practices.
- Inclusion of Content Security Policy strictness level.
- Weighted assessment of HSTS duration.
- Evaluation of Subresource Integrity usage.
- Scoring adjustment for Global Privacy Control signals.
- Normalization of legacy header deprecation impact.
Redesigned User Interface
The UI focuses on clarity, using visual cues to highlight risk areas and recommended fixes.
- Dashboard view summarizing overall score and category breakdown.
- Interactive heat map indicating vulnerable endpoints.
- Step‑by‑step remediation checklist.
- Accessibility‑first color palette and keyboard navigation.
- Contextual help links that open in‑site documentation.
Real‑Time Analysis Engine
Analysis runs on demand, delivering results within seconds while respecting user privacy.
- Edge‑based request inspection powered by Cloudflare workers (implementation guide).
- Concurrent scanning of multiple URLs using async pipelines.
- Instant feedback on header misconfigurations.
- Option to export findings as JSON or CSV.
- Automatic comparison against previous scans for trend tracking.
MDN Integration and Feedback Loop
Embedding the tool in MDN creates a single destination for learning, testing, and reporting.
- Single‑sign‑on using existing MDN accounts.
- Direct links from relevant MDN articles to the scanner.
- Feedback form for feature requests and issue reporting.
- Periodic community webinars showcasing new capabilities.
- Open‑source contribution guide for extending the scoring rules.