Thawte® was the first SSL certificate authority to issue SSL certificates to public entities outside of the US, quickly accounting for 40% of the global SSL certificate market. In 2000, Thawte was acquired by VeriSign, Inc. and has become a key member of the VeriSign family of trust brands. Thawte has issued more than 945,000 SSL and code signing certificates since 1995, protecting identities and transactions in over 240 countries.