VeriSign Releases Internet Security Intelligence Briefing Reporting Year-End Trends in Internet Usage, Security, and Fraud

Quarterly Briefing Compiles Unique Data From VeriSign's Critical Infrastructure Services Including Domain Name System, Authentication Services, Managed Security Services and Payment and Fraud Protection Services

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VeriSign, Inc. the leading provider of critical infrastructure services for the Internet and telecommunications networks, today released the second
edition of the quarterly VeriSign Internet Security Intelligence Briefing.
This quarter's briefing displays clear and dramatic growth in secure online commerce while also revealing alarming trends in increased online fraud and identity theft.

Among the briefing's salient findings are:

-- Online commerce volume increased by 59 percent during the 2003 holiday shopping season, while at the same time merchants rejected approximately 7 percent of overall transactions as "too risky."
-- The average Internet transaction during the 2003 holiday shopping season increased 14 percent to $152.00 compared to the 2002 holiday shopping season.
-- Indonesia ranked number one among the world's nations by percentage of fraud per transaction, followed by Nigeria, Pakistan, Ghana and Israel.
-- The United States led all countries in total volume of fraud, and remained the largest provider of e-commerce in the world.
-- Between November 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003, VeriSign processed $6.4 billion in online sales compared with $4 billion during the same period in 2002.

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