VeriSign (VRSN)

Eligibility Under Section 162(m)

Section 162(m) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code permits performance-based compensation meeting the requirements established by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to be excluded from the limitation on deductibility

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of compensation in excess of $1 million paid to certain specified senior executives. In order to meet the requirements of Section 162(m), the 2006 Plan limits awards to individual participants as follows: No person may receive more than 1,500,000 shares issuable as awards in any fiscal year, other than new employees, who may receive up to a maximum of 3,000,000 shares issuable as awards granted in the fiscal year in which they first commence employment. The foregoing limits are greater than the number of shares subject to awards that VeriSign has granted to any individual in the past. We do not currently intend to significantly increase our equity awards to executive officers.

Awards may, but need not, include performance criteria that satisfy Section 162(m). To the extent that awards are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m), the performance criteria will be one of the following criteria, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to either the company as a whole or to a business unit or subsidiary, either individually, alternatively, or in any combination, and measured either annually or cumulatively over a period of years, on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to previous years’ results or to a designated comparison group, in each case as specified by the compensation committee in the award:

To the extent that an award under the 2006 Plan is designated as a “performance award,” but is not intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m), the performance criteria can include the achievement of strategic objectives as determined by the compensation committee.

Notwithstanding satisfaction of any performance criteria described above, to the extent specified at the time of grant of an award, the number of shares of common stock, stock options or other benefits granted, issued, retainable and/or vested under an award on account of satisfaction of performance criteria may be reduced by the compensation committee on the basis of such further considerations as the compensation committee in its sole discretion determines.