Symantec Corporation’s acquisition of VeriSign’s identity and authentication business, which includes the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Code Signing Certificate Services, the Managed Public Key Infrastructure (MPKI) Services, the VeriSign Trust Seal, the VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service and the VIP Fraud Detection Service (FDS) has been a strategic step to create the most trusted brand for protecting information and identities online.

According to Enrique Salem, President and CEO, Symantec “The combination of Symantec’s leading security solutions with VeriSign’s security products, services and recognition as the most trusted brand online, uniquely positions Symantec to drive the adoption of identity security and restore trust online unlike any other company.”

The VeriSign check mark is the most recognized symbol of trust online with more than 250 million impressions every day on more than 90,000 websites in 160 countries. To no surprise, Symantec has immediately started to incorporate the VeriSign check mark into their corporate identity, which includes a new corporate logo, as well as a new version of the Norton consumer logo, to convey that it’s safe to communicate, transact commerce and exchange information online. You would probably have noticed it by now.

VeriSign’s Trust Seal has been promoting a safer Internet by proactively identifying Web sites that compromise consumer safety and consequently increased confidence, traffic and transactions for sites that do not require SSL Certificates. Any business Website can benefit from the global awareness it has created. The VeriSign Trust Seal has assisted in driving traffic and helped to avoid search-engine blacklisting. It increased conversion results as consumers have a higher propensity to take action on sites that they trust and which protect them from malicious attacks or identity theft.

Symantec’s portfolio, along with assets from VeriSign, now provides the depth and breadth of technologies to make identity-based security of information part of a comprehensive solution, which means:

  • VeriSign’s SSL Certificate Services will be provided with Symantec Critical System Protection through the sales channel. By quickly enabling the sales force to begin cross-selling these offerings, Symantec will help organizations ensure and verify a higher level of security on their web servers, providing users with the trust and confidence to do business online.
  • VeriSign SSL and client PKI authentication services will be aligned with Symantec Protection Center (SPC) to provide a unified enterprise security management solution.
  • By expanding Symantec’s Data Loss Prevention solutions and Data Insight technology with VeriSign’s identity security services, user access security will be strengthened, as it ensures that only authorized users have access to appropriate information.
  • By providing VeriSign VIP authentication service along with Norton products and Symantec desktop clients, users enjoy strong authentication and organizations can leverage the highly-recognized VeriSign trust mark in online searches.

“As identity pervades many corporate and consumer security functions, there is a strong synergy between Symantec and VeriSign,” said Christian Christiansen, Vice President of Security Products and Services, IDC, adding: “As devices, data, web services, and applications proliferate; strong authentication and identity management become crucial to reducing risk of unauthorized information exposure, protecting privacy, and increasing trust. The incorporation of VeriSign’s market-leading SSL, PKI and VIP products into Symantec’s broad portfolio of information security solutions offers the promise of more secure interactions and transactions. By baking authentication into its security products, Symantec can extend VeriSign's "trusted web" to an even greater effect.”

Source: Symantec