Verisign, Inc.

Verisign operates the authoritative registry for .com and .net domains. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, it runs the DNS infrastructure that resolves every .com and .net address before a request reaches its destination.

Domain names are bought from registrars such as GoDaddy or Namecheap, but behind every .com and .net registration sits Verisign's DNS infrastructure, processing over 500 billion DNS transactions daily and maintaining uninterrupted resolution for nearly three decades. A registration placed through any of the roughly 3,000 ICANN-accredited registrars worldwide ultimately flows through Verisign's proprietary DNS registration infrastructure.

Verisign also serves as the internet's root zone maintainer and operates two of the world's 13 root servers, which sit at the top of the DNS hierarchy and are the first stop when a resolver looks up any domain name anywhere on the internet.

More than 100 million domain name transactions are processed daily from registrars around the globe, under what the company describes as "unparalleled resiliency, availability, and accuracy." The infrastructure spans 60+ nations across six continents and is built for dependability in an increasingly complex cyberthreat environment. Under its Cooperative Agreement with the United States Department of Commerce, Verisign must keep the .com registry content neutral, guaranteeing equal access regardless of a site's content or viewpoint.

Beyond registry operations, Verisign sells managed security and network services to enterprises and service providers.