Verisign

Verisign, Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Internet infrastructure
Founded	1995
Founder	Spin-off from RSA Security
Headquarters	Reston, Virginia , United States
Area served	Global
Key people	Brian Robins (former CFO)
Products	Domain name registries and root nameservers management, network infrastructure services
Website	www.verisign.com

Verisign, Inc. is a U.S.-based corporation located in Reston, Virginia, responsible for managing vital network infrastructure. It operates two of the thirteen Internet root nameservers and functions as the authoritative registry for the generic top-level domains , , and , along with the country-code top-level domain and backend systems supporting the and sponsored TLDs.

In 2010, Verisign divested its authentication division—which encompassed SSL certificates, public key infrastructure (PKI), the Verisign Trust Seal, and Identity Protection services—to Symantec for $1.28 billion, reflecting a strategic shift towards its core infrastructure and security operations. Symantec subsequently sold this segment to DigiCert in 2017. On October 25, 2018, NeuStar acquired Verisign’s Security Service Customer Contracts, assuming responsibility for customer agreements related to Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection, Managed DNS, DNS Firewall, and fee-based Recursive DNS offerings.

In 2010, then-CFO Brian Robins revealed plans to move Verisign’s headquarters from Mountain View, California to Dulles, Virginia by 2011 to better serve its predominantly East Coast clientele. The company is incorporated in Delaware.

History

Founded in 1995 as a spin-off from RSA Security’s certification services, Verisign obtained licenses to RSA’s cryptographic patents along with a non-compete agreement. Initially acting as a certificate authority (CA), the company specialized in digital authentication for Internet and e-commerce applications. Prior to selling this certificate business to Symantec in 2010, Verisign managed over three million certificates across industries such as military, finance, and retail, making it the largest CA worldwide.

In 2000, Verisign acquired Network Solutions for $21 billion, thereby gaining control of the , , and top-level domains (TLDs) under agreements with ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce. This acquisition positioned Verisign’s naming division as its largest operational segment. In 2003, it sold Network Solutions’ retail domain registrar business for $100 million but maintained ownership of the core domain registry functions.

By year-end 2010, Verisign reported $681 million in revenue—a 10% increase compared to 2009. Its business was structured into two main areas: Naming Services, responsible for managing TLDs and critical Internet infrastructure; and Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) Services, which included DDoS mitigation, managed DNS services, and threat intelligence.

On August 9, 2010, Symantec purchased Verisign’s authentication business for roughly $1.28 billion. This included SSL Certificate Services, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Verisign Trust Services, VIP Authentication Service, and its stake in Verisign Japan. This transaction reflected Verisign’s strategic concentration on core infrastructure and security operations. Following issues with Symantec-issued certificates that caused Google Chrome to distrust them, Symantec sold this unit to DigiCert in 2017 for $950 million.

In December 2021, after Verisign chose not to renew its contract, Tuvalu’s government selected GoDaddy Registry as the new registry operator for the domain.

In 2011, the General Services Administration (GSA) awarded Verisign the contract to manage the TLD registry until 2023. However, that contract was later granted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to Cloudflare.

Verisign’s stock price experienced a decline in early 2014 following the U.S. government’s announcement to transition oversight of the Internet’s domain-naming system from government control to a nonprofit entity. Despite this uncertainty, ICANN renewed Verisign’s contract as root zone maintainer in 2016, ensuring its ongoing role within global Internet infrastructure.

Naming services

Verisign's principal operation lies within its naming services sector, which manages the authoritative domain name registries for crucial Internet top-level domains such as , , and . The company also acts as the lead technical subcontractor for the and domains, overseeing their zone files and providing hosting services on behalf of non-profit registry administrators. Moreover, Verisign holds the registry operator contract for the country code top-level domain (Cocos Islands). In the domain name ecosystem, registry operators like Verisign function as "wholesalers," while registrars engage directly with end users. Historically, Verisign was responsible for managing the and domains.

Among the thirteen Internet "root servers", Verisign operates two—the “A” and “J” servers—positioned at the apex of the hierarchical Domain Name System. The company produces the globally accepted root zone file and implements modifications authorized by ICANN through IANA. Until 2016, this process was overseen by the U.S. Department of Commerce, after which full control transitioned to ICANN. Although this shift initially affected Verisign’s stock performance, ICANN retained Verisign's role as root zone maintainer. Notably, Verisign is unique in operating multiple root servers and utilizes "anycast" technology to improve system redundancy and uptime.

The origins of Verisign’s naming services division date back to 1993 when Network Solutions secured a contract from the National Science Foundation to administer civilian Internet domain registrations. Until 1998, Network Solutions was the exclusive registrar for non-government generic top-level domains until ICANN enabled competition by accrediting additional registrars. Following this change, Network Solutions separated into NSI Registry, which managed authoritative registries, and a registrar business focused on customer interactions. In 2000, Verisign acquired Network Solutions, inheriting its DNS responsibilities; NSI Registry was rebranded as Verisign’s naming services division, while its registrar segment was sold in 2003 to Pivotal Equity Group.

Company properties

After divesting its authentication services division in 2010, Verisign relocated its headquarters from Mountain View, California to Sterling, Virginia—originally the NSI Registry’s location. That year, the company finalized plans for a permanent office by leasing space at 12061 Bluemont Way in Reston, Virginia, a site formerly occupied by Sallie Mae. In September 2011, Verisign purchased this building outright. The company concluded its lease at Lakeside@Loudoun Technology Center and completed its relocation by November 2011. This Reston Town Center facility situates Verisign within a prominent commercial district.

Verisign owns three data centers located in Dulles, Virginia (Broad Run Technology Park), New Castle, Delaware, and Fribourg, Switzerland. These mirrored sites provide disaster recovery capabilities to maintain continuous operations. Additionally, Verisign leases office space in downtown Washington, D.C. to support government relations efforts and maintains server infrastructure worldwide at major internet peering locations such as the Equinix Ashburn Datacenter—one of the largest internet transit hubs globally.

2001: Code signing certificate mistake

In January 2001, Verisign mistakenly issued two Class 3 code signing certificates to an individual who falsely claimed to be employed by Microsoft. This error remained unnoticed until a routine audit conducted two weeks later uncovered the issue. Since these certificates did not include a Certificate Revocation List Distribution Point, automatic detection of their revocation was not possible, thereby putting Microsoft users at potential risk. In response, Microsoft issued a security update to revoke and mark these fraudulent certificates.

2002: Legal action over domain transfer practices

In 2002, Verisign was sued over allegations of domain slamming—the practice of transferring domain registrations from other providers by misleading registrants into believing they were renewing their existing domains. Although Verisign was not held legally responsible, the company was barred from suggesting that a domain registration was expiring or that a transfer process constituted a renewal, forcing changes in its operational procedures.

2003: Site Finder dispute

In September 2003, Verisign introduced Site Finder, a service that redirected users attempting to access nonexistent and domains to a search portal. ICANN contested this move, arguing that it exceeded the scope of Verisign’s agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, which authorized operation of the DNS for those domains only. Under mounting pressure, Verisign discontinued Site Finder but initiated legal proceedings against ICANN in 2004 to seek clarification on allowable services under its contract. The case proceeded to California state court later that year. By late 2005, the parties reached a proposed settlement establishing revised registry service protocols for the registry, an outcome vital to Verisign’s approach to managing domain services.

2003: Relinquishment of the .org registry

In alignment with ICANN’s objective to encourage competition within the domain industry, Verisign consented in 2003 to transfer control of the top-level domain. This strategic concession ensured continued operation of the highly profitable , which at the time encompassed over 34 million registered domains, thereby maintaining Verisign’s leading position in global domain registry management.

2005: Renewal of .net operations contract

When the contract for managing expired in mid-2005, five entities including Verisign submitted bids for its administration. Verisign highlighted its impeccable performance record handling , supported by alliances with Microsoft, IBM, Sun Microsystems, and MCI, underscoring its essential role in backbone network infrastructure. National security considerations favored Verisign since many rivals were headquartered internationally. On June 8, 2005, ICANN granted Verisign the contract to operate through 2011. This agreement was subsequently extended in 2011 for an additional six years, lasting until 2017.

2010: Security breach and disclosure issues

In February 2012, Verisign revealed that it had experienced multiple network intrusions during 2010. The company asserted that these breaches did not impact the Domain Name System (DNS) under its management but declined to provide specifics regarding any compromised information. Verisign faced criticism for the delayed announcement and attempts to minimize the incident in an October 2011 SEC filing. This lack of openness sparked concerns about the security integrity of its SSL certificate business—acquired by Symantec in late 2010—with industry experts questioning the reliability of websites using Verisign-issued certificates.

2010: Domain seizures of websites

On November 29, 2010, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (U.S. ICE) issued orders to seize 82 websites engaged in the unlawful distribution of counterfeit products. Acting as the registry operator for , Verisign carried out these takedowns in compliance with directives from law enforcement. According to InformationWeek, Verisign only acknowledged receipt of sealed court orders mandating specific domain interventions.

This crackdown prompted the initiation of the "Dot-P2P Project," which seeks to develop a decentralized DNS system free from reliance on centralized registry authorities. After WikiLeaks was compelled to relocate its domain to Switzerland, the Electronic Frontier Foundation emphasized concerns regarding critical Internet infrastructure components like DNS being under corporate control.

2012: Domain seizure enforcement

In March 2012, U.S. authorities declared their jurisdiction to confiscate domains with extensions such as , , , , , and when these are administered by companies based in the United States. Domains including , , , , and can be seized through court orders directed at Verisign, the main administrator for these top-level domains. The domain is overseen by Public Interest Registry, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization. In a prominent instance, Verisign terminated access to the sports-betting website Bodog.com following a court order, although the domain was registered to a Canadian entity.

External links

• Digicert SSL Certificates - formerly from Verisign
• Oral history interview with James Bidzos, Charles Babbage Institute University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Bidzos discusses his leadership of software security firm RSA Data Security, his role in creating the RSA Conference, and founding Verisign. Oral history interview 2004, Mill Valley, California.