Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is dfn.de legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns dfn.de?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for dfn.de. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Lifeline · dfn.de over time
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
On AboutUs since 2006 · no registrant change on record since 2009 · last checked Nov 6, 2026.
Registration
No registration date on file yet. AboutUs reads it from RDAP when the site is checked.
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 20, 2006 – Nov 4, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described dfn.de from Jun 20, 2006 to Nov 4, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023Said about itself in 2006Jul 1, 2006“Der DFN-Verein in Berlin und Stuttgart fördert die Errichtung, den Betrieb und die Nutzung eines rechnergestützten Informations- und Kommunikationssystems für die öffentlich geförderte und gemeinnützige Forschung in Deu…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Registrar
No registrar observed yet. AboutUs has recorded registrars since Jul 20, 2026.
Registrant
Registrant recordsJan 2, 2009 – Feb 16, 2009Registration records for dfn.de are held from Jan 2, 2009 to Feb 16, 2009 (4 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No registrant changes recorded, 2009
Zone file
No nameserver records held, Feb 2009 – Nov 2026No nameserver records held, Feb 2009 – Nov 2026Nameservers: dfn.de, tu-berlin.deJan 2, 2009 – Feb 16, 2009Registration records listed dfn.de, tu-berlin.de nameservers (deneb.dfn.de, names.zrz.tu-berlin.de, ws-fra1.win-ip.dfn.de…) for dfn.de from Jan 2, 2009 to Feb 16, 2009.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CAHellenic Academic and Research Institutions CANov 11, 2025 – Nov 7, 2026 (latest)Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CA issued 162 certificates for dfn.de from Nov 11, 2025, the latest valid until May 24, 2027. Seen in use on Nov 6, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Nov 6, 2026
2010201520202025Apr ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (7)
Jun 20, 2006 – Nov 4, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described dfn.de from Jun 20, 2006 to Nov 4, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “Der DFN-Verein in Berlin und Stuttgart fördert die Errichtung, den Betrieb und die Nutzung eines rechnergestützten Informations- und Kommunikationssystems für die öffentlich geförderte und gemeinnützige Forschung in Deu…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Jan 2, 2009 – Feb 16, 2009Registrant: Registration records for dfn.de are held from Jan 2, 2009 to Feb 16, 2009 (4 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Jan 2, 2009 – Feb 16, 2009Zone file: Registration records listed dfn.de, tu-berlin.de nameservers (deneb.dfn.de, names.zrz.tu-berlin.de, ws-fra1.win-ip.dfn.de…) for dfn.de from Jan 2, 2009 to Feb 16, 2009.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Nov 11, 2025 – Nov 7, 2026Certificate: Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CA issued 162 certificates for dfn.de from Nov 11, 2025, the latest valid until May 24, 2027. Seen in use on Nov 6, 2026.
Current AboutUs recordJun 22, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Nov 1, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Let's EncryptAug 29, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 26 certificates for dfn.de from Aug 29, 2026, the latest valid until Feb 4, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Nov 6, 2026
Jun 22, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Nov 1, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Aug 29, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 26 certificates for dfn.de from Aug 29, 2026, the latest valid until Feb 4, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Site is live · HTTPS valid
Dfn.de is a scientific research network, based in Germany
Der DFN-Verein in Berlin und Stuttgart fördert die Errichtung, den Betrieb und die Nutzung eines rechnergestützten Informations- und Kommunikationssystems für die öffentlich geförderte und gemeinnützige Forschung in Deutschland.
We withhold an authority number until independent evidence (global rank, link-graph presence) has accrued. The facts we do have about this site are shown below — we'd rather say “not enough signals yet” than invent a low score.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 6 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 6 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment
What dfn.de said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
Der DFN-Verein in Berlin und Stuttgart fördert die Errichtung, den Betrieb und die Nutzung eines rechnergestützten Informations- und Kommunikationssystems für die öffentlich geförderte und gemeinnützige Forschung in Deutschland. Hierfür vergibt er insbesondere F+E-Aufträge und organisiert Dienstleistungen zur Nutzung des Deutschen Forschungsnetzes DFN.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date; self-description below is the 2013 record.
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Jun 20, 2006); profile edited 3 times through 2013.
2013
Self-description at the time:
“Dfn.de is a scientific research network, based in Germany”