content: <PAGE>
  
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
                           Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                       of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 17, 1999
  
  
                                  VERISIGN, INC.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
                                     Delaware
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
  
  
  
           0-23596                                          94-3221585
  -------------------------                           ---------------------------
         (Commission                                        (IRS Employer
         File Number)                                       Identification No.)
  
  
          1350 CHARLESTON ROAD, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA                    94043-1331
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)
  
  
                                  (650) 961-7500
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  <PAGE>
  
  Item 5: Other Events.
  
        Proposed Acquisition of Signio, Inc.
        -----------------------------------
  
                 On December 17, 1999, VeriSign, Inc., a Delaware corporation
  ("VeriSign"), agreed to acquire Signio, Inc., a California corporation
  ("Signio"), a provider of payment services connecting online merchants,
  business-to-business exchanges, payment processors and financial institutions
  over the Internet. In the transaction, Signio will merge with a wholly-owned
  subsidiary of VeriSign, with Signio becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of
  VeriSign. In the transaction, VeriSign will issue approximately 5.6 million
  shares of its common stock for all of the outstanding capital stock of Signio.
  In addition, VeriSign will assume all outstanding Signio employee stock options.
  The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase transaction and is intended
  to be a tax-free reorganization. The closing of the proposed acquisition is
  subject to a number of conditions, including the issuance of a permit from, and
  the holding of a fairness hearing by, the California Department of Corporations,
  expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
  Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary conditions. In the event the
  transaction has not closed by February 1, 2000, VeriSign could be required to
  loan Signio up to $5.0 million through June 1, 2000. It is anticipated that the
  shares of VeriSign Common Stock issued in this transaction will be freely
  tradable in the public market, subject to limitations as to volume and manner
  and sale in the case of persons who are affiliates of VeriSign.
  
       Proposed Acquisition of THAWTE
       ------------------------------
  
       On December 19, 1999, VeriSign agreed to acquire THAWTE Consulting, a
  provider of digital certificates to websites and software developers, from its
  sole shareholder. In the transaction, VeriSign will acquire all of the share
  capital of THAWTE Holdings (Pty) Ltd. And THAWTE USA, Inc. in exchange for
  shares of VeriSign Common Stock having an aggregate market value of $575
  million. The exact number of shares to be issued will be based upon the trading
  price of the VeriSign Common Stock prior to the closing date of the exchange.
  The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase and is not intended to
  qualify as a tax-free reorganization. The closing of the proposed acquisition is
  subject to a number of conditions, including the need to obtain certain
  regulatory approvals in South Africa and other customary conditions.
  
       In connection with this transaction, VeriSign will file a shelf
  registration statement for the public resale of the shares issued in the
  exchange.
  
  
                                         2
  <PAGE>
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
  
            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
  
  
                                          VERISIGN, INC.
  
  
  
  Date:  January 6, 2000          By: /s/ DANA L. EVAN
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                          Dana L. Evan
                                          Executive Vice President of Finance and
                                          Administration and Chief Financial
                                          Officer
  
                                         3
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metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "VERISIGN INC/CA", "cik": "0001014473", "assigned-sic": "7371", "irs-number": "943221585", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-23593", "film-number": "502595"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1390 SHOREBIRD WAY", "city": "MOUNTAIN VIEW", "state": "CA", "zip": "94043", "phone": "6509617500"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1390 SHOREBIRD WAY", "city": "MOUNTAIN VIEW", "state": "CA", "zip": "94043"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
                           Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                       of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 17, 1999
  
                                  VERISIGN, INC.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
                                     Delaware
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
  
           0-23596                                          94-3221585
  -------------------------                           ---------------------------
         (Commission                                        (IRS Employer
         File Number)                                       Identification No.)
  
          1350 CHARLESTON ROAD, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA                    94043-1331
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)
  
                                  (650) 961-7500
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  Item 5: Other Events.
  
        Proposed Acquisition of Signio, Inc.
        -----------------------------------
  
                 On December 17, 1999, VeriSign, Inc., a Delaware corporation
  ("VeriSign"), agreed to acquire Signio, Inc., a California corporation
  ("Signio"), a provider of payment services connecting online merchants,
  business-to-business exchanges, payment processors and financial institutions
  over the Internet. In the transaction, Signio will merge with a wholly-owned
  subsidiary of VeriSign, with Signio becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of
  VeriSign. In the transaction, VeriSign will issue approximately 5.6 million
  shares of its common stock for all of the outstanding capital stock of Signio.
  In addition, VeriSign will assume all outstanding Signio employee stock options.
  The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase transaction and is intended
  to be a tax-free reorganization. The closing of the proposed acquisition is
  subject to a number of conditions, including the issuance of a permit from, and
  the holding of a fairness hearing by, the California Department of Corporations,
  expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
  Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary conditions. In the event the
  transaction has not closed by February 1, 2000, VeriSign could be required to
  loan Signio up to $5.0 million through June 1, 2000. It is anticipated that the
  shares of VeriSign Common Stock issued in this transaction will be freely
  tradable in the public market, subject to limitations as to volume and manner
  and sale in the case of persons who are affiliates of VeriSign.
  
       Proposed Acquisition of THAWTE
       ------------------------------
  
       On December 19, 1999, VeriSign agreed to acquire THAWTE Consulting, a
  provider of digital certificates to websites and software developers, from its
  sole shareholder. In the transaction, VeriSign will acquire all of the share
  capital of THAWTE Holdings (Pty) Ltd. And THAWTE USA, Inc. in exchange for
  shares of VeriSign Common Stock having an aggregate market value of $575
  million. The exact number of shares to be issued will be based upon the trading
  price of the VeriSign Common Stock prior to the closing date of the exchange.
  The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase and is not intended to
  qualify as a tax-free reorganization. The closing of the proposed acquisition is
  subject to a number of conditions, including the need to obtain certain
  regulatory approvals in South Africa and other customary conditions.
  
       In connection with this transaction, VeriSign will file a shelf
  registration statement for the public resale of the shares issued in the
  exchange.
  
                                         2
  SIGNATURES
  
            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
  
                                          VERISIGN, INC.
  
  Date:  January 6, 2000          By: /s/ DANA L. EVAN
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                          Dana L. Evan
                                          Executive Vice President of Finance and
                                          Administration and Chief Financial
                                          Officer
  
                                         3