VeriSign, Inc., the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure for the networked world, today announced that more than 400 leading companies have registered for its Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates, which help protect users against online fraudulent activity by providing third party verification of a Web site's authenticity.

The certificates will allow businesses such as Overstock.com, PayPal, Travelocity, and many others to provide consumers with a visual cue - the "green" address bar in the Windows Internet Explorer 7 Web browser - on Web pages where EV certificates are deployed to help assure them the site they are visiting truly represents the legitimate business it claims to be, and that their online transactions will be safely encrypted.

VeriSign EV SSL Certificates enable Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, running on the Vista operating system, to indicate which sites have undergone Extended Validation. Furthermore, VeriSign is offering EV Upgrader, which enables all supported platforms of Internet Explorer 7, including Windows XP, to display the same green address bar and other interface enhancements that indicate a Web site's identity has been verified. The address bar in Internet Explorer 7 will also display the registered organization's name and the name of the EV SSL provider, which allows site visitors to confirm the genuine name of the businesses with whom they are interacting. VeriSign EV SSL Certificates are backward compatible with all earlier browsers and operating systems that support SSL.

"It takes an industry-wide effort to help protect users and boost their confidence in sharing sensitive data online," said Gary Schare, director of Internet Explorer Product Management at Microsoft Corp. "Internet Explorer 7 is the first browser to fully support Extended Validation SSL Certificates, and we're happy to be working with VeriSign and other certification authorities to bring this solution to users."

EV Upgrader utilizes the VeriSign Secured Seal to prompt the Internet Explorer 7 browser operating in Windows XP to safely update its VeriSign SSL roots. The VeriSign Secured Seal is currently displayed on over 65,000 Web properties and viewed by consumers over 100 million times per day. More information on the VeriSign Secured Seal is available at www.verisignsecured.com.

"Our customers look to us to make their online marketplace safer for their business and VeriSign's EV Certificates help us in this effort by raising site identity awareness and building consumer trust," said Jacob Hawkins, senior vice president of Online Marketing at Overstock.com. "Moreover, VeriSign's EV Upgrader provides an easy pathway to the validation, confidence and recognition that can set us apart in the marketplace."

"PayPal's number one focus is providing safe payments for millions of customers worldwide," said Michael Barrett, chief information security officer for PayPal Inc. "When customers use a safe browser like IE7, EV certificates help inform them about whether or not they are on a legitimate PayPal Web site before entering sensitive personal or financial information."

"At Travelocity, we believe in providing our customers with exceptional travel experiences, which starts when they book their travel plans online," said Victoria Treyger, vice president, Merchandising and Product Marketing, Travelocity. "By using VeriSign EV certificates we provide our customers with a strong level of security which we know is critical in the online marketplace today"- VeriSign.