V/S Dimensions — Verification and Security Signals

3.1 V Dimension: Verification

The V dimension answers one question: Who are you? Before an AI agent recommends a merchant, it must first confirm that the entity behind the domain is real and verifiable. The V dimension does not rely on self-reported information (which can be fabricated) — instead, it cross-references identity through third-party public data sources.

V Dimension Signal Catalog

OTR evaluates 13 verification signals:

Signal	Source	What It Checks
SSL Certificate Presence	SSL/TLS	Whether the domain has a valid SSL/TLS certificate
SSL Certificate Issuer	SSL/TLS	Which CA issued the certificate (Let’s Encrypt / DigiCert / Comodo, etc.)
SSL Certificate Type	SSL/TLS	DV (Domain Validation) / OV (Organization Validation) / EV (Extended Validation)
SSL Certificate Validity	SSL/TLS	Whether the certificate is current and how far from expiration
Domain Age	WHOIS	How long the domain has been registered (older is more trustworthy)
WHOIS Completeness	WHOIS	Whether registrant information is complete (vs. privacy-shielded)
GLEIF Entity Match	GLEIF API	Whether a matching entity exists in the Global Legal Entity Identifier system
Wikidata Entity Match	Wikidata API	Whether a corresponding entity page exists in the Wikidata knowledge base
Public Company Verification	Finnhub / SEC	If the entity claims to be publicly traded, whether the stock ticker is verifiable
Brand Name Consistency	Multi-source	Whether the name shown on the website, SSL certificate, and GLEIF record are consistent
WebRisk Check	Google WebRisk	Whether the domain has been flagged as malicious or fraudulent by Google
Geographic Verification	GLEIF + WHOIS	Whether the corporate registration jurisdiction and domain registration location are reasonably consistent
Parent Company Verification	GLEIF / Wikidata	If a parent company is claimed, whether it is independently verifiable

Weight Allocation

The V dimension carries a weight of 40% in the OTR total score (under COLD mode) — the highest of all dimensions. This is by design: in agentic commerce, identity verification is the bedrock of trust. Your security configuration may be excellent and your data may be complete, but if an AI agent cannot verify who you are, none of that matters.

Practical Tips for Improving V Dimension

Action	Difficulty	Expected Effect
Ensure SSL certificate is valid	Low	Baseline requirement
Use an OV or EV certificate	Medium	Scores higher than DV
Register an LEI number with GLEIF	Medium	Significant improvement (requires corporate registration)
Ensure a Wikidata entity page exists	High	Significant improvement (must meet Wikipedia notability criteria)
Maintain domain registration for 5+ years	Time	Score grows naturally with age

GLEIF (Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation) LEI registration is the single most effective V-dimension improvement for mid-to-large enterprises. An LEI number is a globally recognized corporate “ID number,” costing approximately $60-100 per year. Find a registration agent in your region at gleif.org.

3.2 S Dimension: Security

The S dimension answers one question: Is your site secure?

S Dimension Signal Catalog

OTR evaluates 15 security signals:

Signal	What It Checks	Data Source
DNSSEC	Whether DNS resolution has anti-tampering protection	DNS query
DMARC Presence	Whether a DMARC record is configured	DNS TXT record
DMARC Policy Strength	Whether the DMARC policy is none / quarantine / reject	DNS TXT record
SPF Presence	Whether an SPF record is configured	DNS TXT record
SPF Policy Strength	Whether SPF uses ~all or -all	DNS TXT record
DKIM	Whether DKIM signing is configured	DNS TXT record
CAA Record	Whether SSL certificate issuance is restricted to specific CAs	DNS CAA record
HSTS	Whether HTTPS is enforced	HTTP response header
HSTS Preload	Whether the site is in the HSTS preload list	HTTP response header
MX Record	Whether mail server configuration is correct	DNS MX record
NS Record Redundancy	Whether multiple authoritative DNS servers exist	DNS NS record
IPv6 Support	Whether AAAA records exist	DNS AAAA record
HTTPS Redirect	Whether HTTP automatically redirects to HTTPS	HTTP request
Security Response Headers	X-Frame-Options and other security headers	HTTP response header
Cookie Security Flags	Whether cookies are set with Secure / HttpOnly flags	HTTP response header

Weight Allocation

The S dimension carries a weight of 15% in the OTR total score (under COLD mode). Although it is not the highest-weighted dimension, most S-dimension signals are zero-cost, zero-risk configuration items. These DNS records and HTTP headers can be set up without paid tools and without affecting any website functionality.

DNS Scan Stage Guard

OTR has an important design feature: S-dimension signals are only scored after the DNS scan is complete. If the DNS scan has not finished (is in a pending state), S-dimension signals are displayed as “not scanned” rather than “missing.” This prevents false penalties caused by scan latency.

Practical Tips for Improving S Dimension

Refer to Book 6, Chapter 2: Technical Infrastructure for step-by-step configuration instructions. Ranked by impact:

DNSSEC — One-click activation, high impact
DMARC — A single DNS record, high impact
SPF — A single DNS record
HSTS — One HTTP header configuration
CAA — A single DNS record
DKIM — Requires coordination with your email service provider

Next Chapter: G/T/D Dimensions — Governance, Transparency, and Data Quality — Complete technical analysis of the remaining three automatically assessed dimensions

OTR four-layer architecture overview OTR governance, transparency, and data quality

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OTR verification and security signal dimensions

V/S Dimensions — Verification and Security Signals

3.1 V Dimension: Verification

V Dimension Signal Catalog

Weight Allocation

Practical Tips for Improving V Dimension

3.2 S Dimension: Security

S Dimension Signal Catalog

Weight Allocation

DNS Scan Stage Guard

Practical Tips for Improving S Dimension

​V/S Dimensions — Verification and Security Signals

​3.1 V Dimension: Verification

​V Dimension Signal Catalog

​Weight Allocation

​Practical Tips for Improving V Dimension

​3.2 S Dimension: Security

​S Dimension Signal Catalog

​Weight Allocation

​DNS Scan Stage Guard

​Practical Tips for Improving S Dimension

V/S Dimensions — Verification and Security Signals

3.1 V Dimension: Verification

V Dimension Signal Catalog

Weight Allocation

Practical Tips for Improving V Dimension

3.2 S Dimension: Security

S Dimension Signal Catalog

Weight Allocation

DNS Scan Stage Guard

Practical Tips for Improving S Dimension