Press Release

GlobalSign Extends WebTrust Accreditaion After Successful Audit by Deloitte

Independent auditor Deloitte confirms that GlobalSign achieved the AICPA/CICA WebTrust Seal of Assurance for Certification Authorities for the second year in a row.

London, UK - June 2, 2004 - GlobalSign Inc ((www.globalsign.ca)), Europe's leading Certificate Service Provider offering digital certificates and co-sourced PKI solutions, today announced that it received the WebTrust™ Seal of Assurance for Certification Authorities for the second time in a row after an audit conducted by Deloitte. In November 2002, GlobalSign was the first pan-European public Certification Authority to attain this accreditation level.

The WebTrust Seal of Assurance combines high standards for e-commerce activities with the requirement for an independent verification/audit. Together they build trust and confidence among consumers and enterprises conducting business over the Internet. By demonstrating compliance with WebTrust criteria, entities earn the right to display the WebTrust Seal of Assurance. The fact that GlobalSign succeeded to extend the WebTrust accreditation confirms that its processes, procedures and control mechanisms still meet the highest standards.

"The WebTrust Seal of Assurance has become a quality standard in our industry. Companies like Microsoft now require the WebTrust seal to be accepted in their root inclusion program, determining which root certificates are accepted by their browser and email software." said Johan Sys, General Manager of GlobalSign. "Unlike many local Certification Authorities, GlobalSign has succeeded to be in all major root inclusion programs since 1999. The WebTrust Seal of Assurance helps us to sustain our unique position of being one of the few CAs in the world that is by default included in all leading browsers and e-mail clients. The fact that GlobalSign was chosen to rootsign the certificates used in the Belgian e-ID project is a good illustration of this competitive advantage."

Audit and consulting firm Deloitte is licensed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (AICPA/CICA) to audit Certification Authorities that want to attain the WebTrust Seal of Assurance. Deloitte has a strong international track record in providing these assurance services. They advised GlobalSign throughout the initial certification process in 2001, and have now reevaluated and tested whether the services provided by GlobalSign still meet the principles and criteria set forward by the WebTrust program for Certification Authorities.

"The WebTrust Seal of Assurance has become a de facto standard. As an example, the Belgian government has based its e-ID accreditation scheme on the WebTrust criteria." said Chris Verdonck, Enterprise Risk Services Partner at Deloitte. "We are therefore very pleased that we could successfully audit GlobalSign for the second year in a row. It demonstrates GlobalSign's commitment to deliver trust services that meet the highest industry standard."

About Deloitte
A leading audit and consulting practice in Belgium, Deloitte offers value added services in audit, accounting, tax, consulting and corporate finance. In Belgium, Deloitte has more than 2.100 employees in over 16 offices across the country, serving national and international companies, from small and middle sized enterprises, to public sector and non-profit organisations. The turnover reached 312 million euro in the financial year 2002-2003.

The Belgian firm is a member of the international group Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, an organisation of independent member firms devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice.
We are focused on client service through a global strategy executed locally in nearly 150 countries. With access to the deep intellectual capital of 120,000 people worldwide, our member firms (including their affiliates) deliver services in various professional areas covering audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services. Our member firms serve over one-half of the world's largest companies, as well as large national enterprises, public institutions, and successful, fast-growing global growth companies. In 2002-2003 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu's turnover reached 15,1 billion dollars.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is a Swiss Verein (association), and, as such, neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other's acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names "Deloitte," "Deloitte & Touche," "Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu," or other related names. The services described herein are provided by the member firms and not by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein.

About GlobalSign
Established in 1996 and as a WebTrust accredited public certificate authority, GlobalSign offers publicly trusted SSL, including SSL Certificates, EV SSL, managed SSL services, S/MIME and Code Signing Certificates for use on all platforms including mobile devices. Its Trusted Root solution uses the widely embedded GlobalSign Root CA certificates to provide immediate PKI trust for Microsoft CA and enterprise CAs, eliminating the costs of using untrusted Root Certificates. Its partnership with Adobe to provide Certified Document Services (CDS) enables secure digitally signed PDF documents, certified transcripts and e-invoices.  These core Digital Certificate solutions allow its thousands of authenticated customers to conduct secure online transactions, data transfer, distribution of tamper-proof code, and protection of online identities for secure email and access control.  The company has a history of innovation within the online security industry and has offices in the US, UK, Belgium, Japan, and China. 

GMO Internet Group
GMO Internet Group, headquartered in Japan, is a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services worldwide. The group holds top domestic market share in domain registration, web hosting, and payment processing and provides a host of other Internet services including global online security services, e-commerce solutions, and Internet advertising to both businesses and individuals. At the centre of the group is GMO Internet, Inc. a company listed on the prestigious first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE: 9449). Please visit www.gmo.jp/en for further details.

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