What changed in this filing

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Item 1. Business

2026-02-05 compared with 2025-02-13 · 49 added, 45 removed, 249 unchanged (27% of the section changed)

17 unchanged sentences

com and .net registries and the number of .com and .net domain name registrations in the domain name base.

The zone counts and information on how to obtain access to the zone files can be found at https://www.verisign.com/zone .

The zone counts and information on how to obtain access to the zone files can be found at https://www.verisign.com/resources/zone-file/ .

The domain name base is the active zone plus the number of domain names that are registered but not configured for use in the respective top-level domain zone file plus the number of domain names that are in a client or server hold status.

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https://dnib.com

https://x.com/dnibrief

The contents of these websites are not intended to be incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file.

We operate the authoritative directory, for all .com, .net, and .name domain names (generic top-level domains, “gTLDs”), as well as for certain transliterations of .

net in a number of different native languages and scripts (internationalized generic top-level domains, “IDN gTLDs”).

net in a number of different native languages and scripts (internationalized

generic top-level domains, “IDN gTLDs”).

We also operate the authoritative directory for all .

cc domain names (country code top-level domain, or “ccTLD”).

We operate the technical or back-end systems for .

edu and certain other gTLDs.

As the registry

or service provider for these top-level domains, our services allow individuals and organizations to establish their online identities, while providing the secure, always-on access they need to communicate and transact reliably with online audiences.

cc domain names (country code top-level domain, or “ccTLD”) and operate the technical or back-end systems for the .

edu top-level domain.

As the registry or service provider for these top-level domains, our services allow individuals and organizations to establish their online identities, while providing the secure, always-on access they need to communicate and transact reliably with online audiences.

We operate the .com, .net, and .name gTLDs and the IDN gTLDs under registry agreements with ICANN and also, with respect to the .com gTLD, a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S.

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cc ccTLD under an agreement with Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Under separate agreements, we provide technical or back-end services for .

edu and for certain other gTLDs.

Under a separate agreement, we provide back-end services for the .

edu top-level domain.

We also perform the Root Zone Maintainer function under an agreement with ICANN for the core of the internet’s DNS and operate two of the thirteen root zone servers that contain authoritative data for the top of the DNS hierarchy.

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Retail pricing for these domain name registrations is established by registrars.

For .com domain name registrations, we pay ICANN on a quarterly basis $0.2575 for each annual domain name registration and a fixed fee of $6,250.

For .com domain name registrations, we pay ICANN on a quarterly basis $0.2575 for each annual domain name registration.

For .name domain name registrations, we pay ICANN on a quarterly basis $0.25 for each annual domain name registration.

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Revenues for .cc domain names and our IDN gTLDs are based on prices that are not subject to the same pricing restrictions as those for the .

The fees for our performance of technical or back-end services for .edu and certain other gTLDs are based on the terms of our agreements with those respective businesses .

The fee for our performance of back-end services for the .edu top-level domain is based on the terms of our agreement .

Operations Infrastructure

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• Distributed Servers:

We operate a large number of high-speed servers globally to support localized transaction volume and performance demands.

We operate a large number of high-speed servers globally to support localized transaction processing and performance demands.

In conjunction with our proprietary software, processes and procedures, this purpose-built global constellation of servers offers rapid failover, global and local load balancing, and threshold monitoring on critical servers.

• Networking:

We deploy and maintain a redundant and diverse global network, maintain high-speed, redundant connections to numerous internet service providers, and maintain network interconnection relationships globally to ensure that our critical services are readily accessible to end users.

We deploy and maintain a redundant and diverse global network, maintain high-speed, redundant connections to numerous internet service providers, and maintain hundreds of network interconnection relationships globally to ensure that our critical services are readily accessible to end users.

• Security and Availability:

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We perform continuous internal vulnerability testing and periodic controls, audits, and also contract with third-party security organizations to perform periodic penetration tests and security risk assessments on our systems.

We have engineered resiliency and diversity into how we host classes of products throughout our set of interconnected sites to reduce the risk of unknown vendor defects and zero-day security vulnerabilities.

Software undergoes application security testing prior to deployment and our responsible disclosure program provides an opportunity for external security researchers to be compensated for submitting vulnerabilities to our Information Security team.

We have engineered resiliency and diversity across our set of interconnected sites to reduce the risk of unknown vendor defects and zero-day security vulnerabilities.

For our critical services, our change management and core rollout processes include testing and validation in multiple test environments, along with a careful phased rollout to the production environment.

• Data Integrity:

We use several proprietary systemic integrity checks and validations to ensure data correctness when updating and publishing the DNS records for the registries we operate.

We continuously seek to enhance our infrastructure and capabilities to support both normal and peak system load plus attack volumes based on historical experience, as well as to address projected internet attack trends.

These steps include multiple stages of DNSSEC validation to ensure correctness, all of which exist to ensure that the zone can be validated cryptographically so that any changes would be rejected in the event of an error or corruption.

Call Centers and Service Desk:

We provide customer support services over the phone, by email and through web-based self-help systems.

We provide customer support services over the phone, by email, by chat, and through web-based self-help systems.

Our support teams are staffed with trained technical customer support personnel.

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Our network operations center monitors our systems continuously.

We subscribe to an industry leading Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service providing increased security monitoring 24/7/365, in addition to our own internal Verisign Incident Response Team.

Disaster Recovery Plans:

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We periodically operate services at alternate data centers during maintenance windows to ensure the availability of our data centers for disaster recovery.

Marketing, Sales and Distribution

Air-gapped backup solutions are regularly maintained along with local and remote disk backups.

We also conduct multiple simulations/exercises a year around disaster recovery, large-scale DDoS events, systems failure, ransomware attacks, and many more to broaden and deepen our learnings beyond the normal events we encounter on a day-to-day basis.

Marketing and Distribution

We seek to expand our business through focused marketing campaigns and programs that target growth in .com , .net and .cc domain names, both domestically and internationally through our registrars.

We provide tools to be used by both registrars and end users to enable them to find relevant domain names.

We have marketing and sales offices and account management teams in several countries around the world.

We have marketing and account management employees in several countries around the world.

Research and Development

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Under our agreements with ICANN, we are subject to certain restrictions in the operation of .com , .net and .name on pricing, bundling, marketing, methods of distribution, introduction of new registry services, and use of registrars, that do not apply to ccTLDs and other gTLDs and therefore may create a competitive disadvantage.

Among our competitors operating gTLD and ccTLD registries are China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), DENIC eG, Nominet, Identity Digital, Public Interest Registry (PIR), CentralNic, Google, .xyz, GoDaddy, and Radix.

Demand for domain names could be negatively impacted to the extent end-users establish their online identities using social media (such as Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok) or transact business on e-commerce platforms (such as Amazon, Etsy and Taobao) instead of registering domain names.

Among our competitors operating gTLD and ccTLD registries are CentralNic, China Internet Network, DENIC eG, GoDaddy, Google, Identity Digital, Information Center (CNNIC), Nominet, Public Interest Registry (PIR), Radix, and .xyz.

Demand for domain names could be negatively impacted to the extent end-users establish their online identities using social media (such as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok) or transact business on e-commerce platforms (such as Amazon, Etsy

and Taobao) instead of registering domain names.

Furthermore, demand for domain names could also be negatively impacted by the activities of providers of web and mobile applications that allow end-users to locate and access content.

Alternative namespaces, new technologies and the expansion of existing technologies may increase competitive pressure.

Alternative namespaces, new technologies and the expansion of existing technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (“AI”), may increase competitive pressure.

Our industry is characterized by collaborative relationships involving our competitors.

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com Registry Agreement permits an increase to the Maximum Price (as defined in the .com Registry Agreement) of .com domain name registrations by up to 7% over the previous year in each of the final four years of each six-year period.

The first such six-year period began on October 26, 2018.

The current such six-year period began on October 26, 2024.

The restrictions in the .com Registry Agreement relating to vertical integration apply solely to the .com gTLD.

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Their dedication to these principles forms the backbone that enables Verisign to provide for the security, stability, and resiliency of the DNS and the internet.

We recognize the importance of talent and culture in driving an environment that fosters high performance, inclusion, and integrity in all aspects of our work.

We recognize the importance of talent and culture in driving an environment that fosters high performance, collaboration, belonging, and integrity in all aspects of our work.

We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining the best talent, and we routinely monitor and present our progress in these areas to executive management and the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors.

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Employee Engagement:

In order to deliver on our mission, we believe it is important to have a diverse and engaged workforce that exhibits our values, which include:

In order to deliver on our mission, we believe it is important to have a highly engaged workforce that exhibits our values, which include:

being stewards of the internet, being passionate about technology, respecting others, exhibiting integrity, taking responsibility, and holding ourselves to a higher standard.

We strive to create an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging and feel empowered to bring their diverse skills, perspectives, and talents to bear.

We strive to create an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging and feel empowered to bring their diverse set of skills, perspectives, and talents to bear.

These principles are integrated into our operating model and are foundational to our ability to attract, retain, and develop top talent and allow us to drive stronger overall performance and decision making.

In 2024, we reinforced the importance of creating a respectful and inclusive workplace through training sessions.

Additionally, our five employee resource groups serve to educate and further drive connection and a sense of belonging across the workplace.

To monitor engagement levels and well-being we routinely conduct employee surveys and review key workforce statistics.

In our most recent survey conducted in October 2024, approximately 96% of our employee population participated.

In our most recent survey conducted in November 2025, approximately 93% of our employee population participated.

The survey results indicated that our employees remain highly engaged, have a strong commitment to our mission and values, and are proud to work at Verisign.

These sentiments are reflected in our workforce statistics, including our average employee tenure of approximately 10 years.

These sentiments are reflected in our workforce statistics, especially our average employee tenure of approximately 11 years.

Compensation, Pay Equity, and Employee Benefits:

To align with our philosophy of providing compelling total rewards, we have practices in place to deliver fair and equitable compensation for employees based on their contribution and performance.

To align with our philosophy of providing impactful total rewards, we have practices in place to deliver fair and equitable compensation for employees based on their contribution and performance.

We benchmark and regularly review our compensation and benefits against the market to confirm they remain competitive.

We offer a broad and comprehensive set of benefits to meet the diverse needs of our workforce.

offer a broad and comprehensive set of benefits to meet the diverse needs of our workforce.

In addition, we regularly perform analyses on base pay, annual incentives, and long-term incentives to help calibrate compensation and ensure pay equity.

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We are committed to the continued development of our people.

Strategic talent reviews and succession planning occur on a regular basis.

Strategic talent reviews and succession planning occur on a regular basis where leadership is actively involved in identifying and developing top talent and potential successors for both emergency and long-term succession opportunities.

We believe that employee development is anchored in acquiring skills and work experiences that meet the needs of the business and the individual.

We focus on leadership capability development and provide opportunities that enhance technical and soft skills to equip our workforce for current and future growth.

Our learning opportunities are a blend of on-the-job experiences and instructor-led and on-demand learning sessions that meet the unique

development needs of our workforce.

Our learning opportunities are a blend of on-the-job experiences, instructor-led training, and on-demand learning sessions that meet the unique development needs of our workforce.

Additionally, all employees are required to complete annual ethics and compliance and monthly data security trainings.

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physical, emotional, and financial.

We support a hybrid work posture where our employees operate under team agreements that set the foundation for operating norms and allow employees to create work schedules that align with corporate and individual needs.

This provides employees more flexibility to manage a healthy work-life balance.

Our offices remain key to enabling collaboration, networking, and strategic discussion.

We support a hybrid work posture where our employees operate under team agreements that set the foundation for operating norms.

Most employees are in the office a minimum of two days per week which fosters collaboration while providing employees the flexibility to manage a healthy work-life balance.

Our offices remain essential to enabling collaboration, networking, and strategic discussion.

The following table shows a comparison of our consolidated employee headcount, by function:

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James Bidzos 70 Executive Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Kilguss, III 64 Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

66 Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

McPherson 51 Executive Vice President, Technology and Chief Security Officer

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from 1986 to February 1999.

Kilguss, III has served as Chief Financial Officer since May 2012.

From April 2008 to May 2012, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Internap Network Services Corporation, an IT infrastructure solutions company.

From December 2003 to December 2007, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Towerstream Corporation, a company that delivers high speed wireless internet access to businesses.

From 1997 to 2000, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Stratos Global Corporation, a mobile satellite services company.

Kilguss holds an M.B.A.

degree from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business and a B.S.

degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Hartford.

Caly s has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since May 2025.

From 2020 to May 2025, Mr.

Calys served as Senior Vice President and Global Controller and as Vice President and Global Controller from 2010 through 2020.

He also served as its interim Chief Financial Officer in 2011 and 2012 and Chief Accounting Officer from April 2024 to May 2025.

Prior to joining the company Mr.

Calys served as Vice President and Controller for XO Communications, Inc., Vice President and Assistant Treasurer for Sprint Nextel Corporation, and Vice President and Assistant Controller for Nextel Communications, Inc.

Calys graduated with a Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Kansas.

McPherson has served as Executive Vice President, Technology and Chief Security Officer since April 2022.

17 unchanged sentences

Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.

What changed 10-K

Item 1. Business