Dun & Bradstreet
will use its global database of 64 million businesses to authenticate
companies applying for VeriSign's new Shared Hosting Security Services
Mountain View, CA, and Murray Hill, NJ, August 20, 2001 - VeriSign,
Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the leading provider of Internet trust services,
and Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE: DNB), the world's leading provider of
business information, today announced an agreement that combines core
strengths of both companies to support the delivery of VeriSign's new
Shared Hosting Security Service. Under the agreement, Web businesses
applying for the VeriSign service will automatically be authenticated
by Dun & Bradstreet using the company's global database of over
64 million D-U-N-SŪ Numbered businesses.
Evidence of the authentication will be available
to Internet customers in the form of VeriSign's Secure Site Seal that
will be provided to all participating businesses for display on their
Web site.
VeriSign's Shared Hosting Security Service provides
Secure Server Layer (SSL) enabled certificates to ISPs and Web hosting
companies that will share the certificates with their Web-based merchants.
VeriSign's certificates provide authentication and encryption services
that ensure that transactions via Web sites, such as credit card purchases,
are secure.
"D&B is providing a valuable service to
VeriSign as we enhance security for more Web-based businesses,"
said Ben Golub, vice president, VeriSign Web Trust Services. "When
customers click on the VeriSign Secure Site Seal they will know that
D&B has confirmed that a particular company exists."
"D&B's business authentication service
is a critical component of VeriSign's Shared Hosting Security Service,"
said Larry Kutscher, president, D&B B2B E-Commerce. "This partnership
demonstrates our commitment to play an important role in B2B e-commerce
which is an important component of our Blueprint for Growth strategy."
VeriSign's server credentials have become an industry
standard with more than 327,000 certificates deployed. However, customers
of small to medium-sized Web hosted businesses have not previously benefited
from the same security services available to larger companies hosting
their own Web sites.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSN) is the leading provider of trusted infrastructure
services to Web sites, enterprises, electronic commerce service providers
and individuals. The company's Domain Name, digital certificate and
payment services provide the critical Web identity, authentication and
transaction infrastructure that online businesses require to conduct
secure e-commerce and communications. VeriSign's services are available
through its Web sites (www.verisign.com
and www.networksolutions.com)
or through its direct sales force and reseller partners around the world.
About D&B
Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE:DNB), the world's leading provider of business
information, has been enabling business-to-business commerce for 160
years. D&B's information and technology solutions help businesses
reduce credit risk, find profitable customers and manage vendors efficiently.
Businesses also use D&B's information and technology to authenticate
and verify potential trading partners online, increasing their trust
and confidence in e-commerce transactions. That's why so many companies
-- including over 90 percent of the Business Week Global 1000 -- rely
on D&B as the most trusted source for information they need to make
their business a success. For more information, please visit www.dnb.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,
VeriSign's limited operating history under its current business structure,
uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations
in quarterly operating results, increased competition, risks associated
with the company's international business and risks related to potential
security breaches. 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, especially in the
company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2000 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2001. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking
statements after the date of this press release.
VeriSign is a registered trademark of VeriSign,
Inc. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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