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According to the company, by displaying the new VeriSign Trust Seal, any business website has the opportunity to leverage the global awareness created by the VeriSign Secured Seal.

The VeriSign Trust Seal pairs the familiar VeriSign checkmark circle with the words "VeriSign Trusted," enabling Web sites of any size to display a highly recognised visual element commonly seen on brand-name Web sites.

The VeriSign Trust Seal will be able to authenticate the business and domain control, scan for malicious software daily, seal-in search results, and even help lesser-known sites establish consumer confidence and credibility, which can lead to increased sales.

The additional features of the VeriSign Trust Seal, including malware scanning, will soon be available with all of VeriSign's trust products, including SSL and Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates. Existing VeriSign SSL customers will receive this added functionality at no extra cost.

IDC's Vice President of SMB Research, Ray Boggs said, "Reputation is vital to the success of the growing number of small-to-medium-sized business competing in the online marketplace, and trust is a key component for protecting brand reputation and increasing consumer confidence. VeriSign's brand recognition will extend to the new VeriSign Trust Seal to help small and medium-sized businesses communicate trust and safety to customers and prospects."

The VeriSign Trust Seal will be available starting next week at www.verisign.com/trust-seal/index.html for US$299 for a one-year license. The new seal will be available through VeriSign's reseller partners later this year.