Verisign, Inc.

When you type any .com or .net address into your browser, there's a critical moment that happens before your request reaches its destination — and Verisign is the company making that connection possible. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Verisign operates one of the internet's most essential but invisible pieces of infrastructure: the authoritative registry for .com and .net domains.

Most people think of domain names as something you buy from a registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap. But behind every .com and .net registration is Verisign's massive DNS infrastructure, processing over 500 billion DNS transactions daily and maintaining uninterrupted resolution services for nearly three decades. When someone registers example.com through any of the roughly 3,000 ICANN-accredited registrars worldwide, that registration ultimately flows through Verisign's proprietary DNS registration infrastructure.

What makes Verisign unique in the domain ecosystem isn't just the scale — it's the critical role they play in keeping the internet's foundation stable. They don't just run the .com and .net registries; they also serve as the internet's root zone maintainer and operate two of the world's 13 root servers. These root servers are literally at the top of the DNS hierarchy, the first stop when your computer needs to resolve any domain name anywhere on the internet.

The company processes more than 100 million domain name transactions daily from registrars around the globe, all while maintaining what they describe as "unparalleled resiliency, availability, and accuracy." Their infrastructure spans 60+ nations across six continents, built specifically for dependability in an increasingly complex cyberthreat environment. Under their Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Verisign must keep the .com registry content neutral, ensuring equal access regardless of the website's content or viewpoint.

Beyond the registry operations, Verisign offers managed security and network services to enterprises and service providers. But their core mission remains focused on that behind-the-scenes work that enables global internet connectivity — making sure that when someone clicks a .com or .net link anywhere in the world, it resolves instantly and reliably.