SOURCE: VeriSign, Inc.

September 09, 2009 08:00 ET

VeriSign to Support U.S. Government Open Identity Initiative as Trusted Authentication Service Provider

Company Extends Its Efforts to Build Trust Online by Participating in First Pilot Programs Aimed at Offering Citizens Secure Access to Government Sites and Services

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - September 9, 2009) - VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure for the networked world, today announced it will support and participate in pilot programs aimed at making it easier for Americans to safely and conveniently access services on U.S. Government Web sites.

By joining other industry leaders in supporting the Open Identity for Open Government initiative, VeriSign will serve as a key provider of OpenID authentication, which allows users to log on to multiple sites using the same digital identity. Using OpenID, members of the public will be able to log in to some government Web sites without revealing any personally identifiable information. Other sites may ask the user to supply some data and the user will determine how much information they are willing to share in order to save personal preferences.

"VeriSign is excited to be a part of the U.S. Government's initiative to further President Obama's call for a more open and participatory government," said Nicolas Popp, vice president of Innovation at VeriSign. "Based on our experience with bringing trust to the Internet, we look forward to playing a role in the development of an identity trust framework that will enable citizens to communicate with the government openly with confidence."

Through the VeriSign® Personal Identity Portal (PIP) from VeriSign Labs, users can manage their OpenID to access government Web sites designated for the pilot programs, such as the National Institutes of Health at www.nih.gov. VeriSign's PIP is an identity hub that allows people to access all aspects or their identity online. Visit the PIP at https://pip.verisignlabs.com/

Members of the public who choose to manage their OpenID with VeriSign have the added advantage of protecting their vital personal information with VeriSign's strong second-factor authentication. Strong authentication protects users from fraud and identity theft by providing an additional layer of protection beyond simple username and password.

As an OpenID provider and authenticator, VeriSign has worked carefully to ensure that its PIP service adheres to the Federal Identity, Credentialing and Access Management OpenID 2.0 Profile. Open trust frameworks enable citizens to choose the identity technology, identity provider, and credential with which they are most comfortable, while enabling government Web sites to accept and trust these credentials. This approach leads to better innovation and lower costs for both government and citizens.

About VeriSign

VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Billions of times each day, VeriSign helps companies and consumers all over the world engage in communications and commerce with confidence. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as the inability of VeriSign to successfully develop and market new products and services and customer acceptance of any new products or services, including VeriSign Identity Protection services; the possibility that VeriSign's announced new services may not result in additional customers, profits or revenues; and increased competition and pricing pressures. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.

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