Entertainment sites trail core security benchmarks across nearly every category. Within our dataset, only 2.0% (47 scans) achieved an A or B grade—a performance near the bottom among over 40 tracked industries.
Key Takeaways - 63.1% of scans received a D or F security grade - Only 0.3% passed the security headers check - Cookie security was the sole strong area: 87.4% passed - Industry average security score: 40.9% (below benchmark)
The Numbers
Our analysis measured 2,331 scans of 1,511 unique WordPress entertainment and media sites between April and July 2026. Each scan assessed site configuration in six key risk areas, including SSL/TLS quality, security headers, browser content policies, cookie handling, mixed content flaws, and server banner exposure.
Grade performance was polarized: - Only 2 sites (0.1%) achieved an A+. - 8 sites (0.3%) earned an A. - The D and F grades accounted for 1,470 scans—63.1% of the sample.
📊 87.7% of sites failed one or more high-priority SSL or header configuration checks.
Drilling down into technical checks: - SSL/TLS: Only 7.7% of sites earned a "Good" SSL/TLS rating. This points to flaws beyond just whether HTTPS is present—it includes issues like weak protocols and missing or misconfigured HSTS. - Security Headers: Only 0.3% passed with a "Good" score. Among all six measured headers (including X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, and Content-Security-Policy), nearly every site fell short of up-to-date browser security controls. - Mixed Content: 67.7% passed, meaning that nearly a third of sites still serve insecure HTTP assets on secure HTTPS pages. - Cookie Security: By contrast, 87.4% had well-configured cookies—demonstrating notable improvement for account and checkout protection. - Server Banner: 1.3% hid detailed server version info, leaving 98.7% potentially disclosing stack details to automated reconnaissance.
Grade Distribution Table:
| Grade | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 2 | 0.1% |
| A | 8 | 0.3% |
| B+ | 22 | 0.9% |
| B | 15 | 0.6% |
| C+ | 364 | 15.6% |
| C | 230 | 9.9% |
| D | 653 | 28.0% |
| F | 817 | 35.0% |
How Entertainment Sites Compare
The entertainment segment’s average security score landed at 40.9%. This positions it just above the overall mean in our 45-industry dataset, but still well below the leading industry (Manufacturing at 45.5%).
Notably, entertainment sites had among the lowest success rates for security headers: just 0.3% passed, compared to a global adoption rate of 4–6% for all major browser headers according to the 2025 Scott Helme Security Headers Survey. For SSL/TLS, our "Good" pass rate (7.7%) falls short of the 95% HTTPS adoption rate reported by the Chrome Transparency Report, chiefly because our tests account for deep SSL misconfigurations—not just basic certificate presence.
| Industry | Avg Score |
|---|---|
| Entertainment | 40.9% |
| Manufacturing | 45.5% |
| Retail | 44.2% |
| Home Improvement | 39.8% |
| E Commerce | 40.0% |
| Restaurant | 42.4% |
| Unreachable | 22.7% |
While entertainment outperforms the very bottom categories, it sits near the industry median and is outpaced by sectors with heavier regulatory or commercial focus.
What This Means for Your Business
For entertainment websites—whether streaming, events, or fan platforms—the security configuration gaps are concrete, not just theoretical. Missing SSL/TLS protections or absent headers create avoidable exposure to browser-based attacks like clickjacking, cross-site scripting (XSS), and session hijacking.
Lack of Content-Security-Policy and X-Content-Type-Options headers is well documented as a stepping stone in automated attacks. For example, CVE-2021-29447 demonstrated how attackers leverage XML-RPC version disclosure to pivot towards further exploitation—a risk amplified when core browser headers are missing.
A low passing rate for security headers means that search engines, browsers, and even some payment processors can flag or penalize the site. This manifests as warning messages to your visitors, lower SEO rankings, and increased customer skepticism—directly impacting registrations, bookings, or ticket sales. In sectors where audiences are quick to bounce at the first sign of risk, maintaining a reputation for trust is revenue-critical.
On the bright side, strong cookie security across 87.4% of entertainment sites is a foundation worth building on, especially for sites with member logins or transaction capabilities. But without layered browser defenses, cookie protection alone is not enough.
What You Can Do Right Now
A single misconfiguration can undermine the effort you put into site content, ticketing, or community engagement. Here’s a focused checklist for entertainment WordPress site operators:
- Scan Your Live Site: Run a full WordPress vulnerability scan to uncover actual browser and protocol misconfigurations.
- Check Security Headers: Implement modern headers (CSP, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, HSTS). Start with free plugins or web server config updates.
- Review SSL/TLS Grades: Don’t rely on the green padlock alone—confirm your certificate, protocols, and HSTS settings are current.
- Fix Mixed Content: Update all HTTP assets to HTTPS to avoid content and browser trust warnings.
- Harden Cookie Settings: Ensure all cookies used in authentication or checkout are flagged as Secure and HttpOnly.
- Obscure Server Banner: Remove or hide server version information from HTTP responses to reduce attack surface.
- Update WordPress Core & Plugins: Keep to supported versions and patch promptly—especially for themes or e-commerce add-ons.
- Retest After Fixes: Continuous monitoring catches new gaps as plugins or hosting environments evolve.
For more actionable steps, see 5 quick wins to improve your website security.
Final Thoughts
Out of 2,331 entertainment WordPress scans, 63.1% resulted in poor (D or F) security grades. Weakness in browser headers and SSL/TLS handling is the clear outlier for this segment—well below industry best practices and benchmarks. With traffic, transaction, and audience trust on the line, closing these gaps is a business essential.
The next best step: run a detailed scan of your property, address high-priority configuration issues, and retest until you see improvement. A more secure experience today pays ongoing dividends in audience retention, SEO trust, and business reputation.