Is Verisign necessary?
No, Verisign isn’t necessary. We host probably a couple hundred SSL sites, including front-ends to banks, maybe a half dozen use Verisign (mostly because they’re sticks in the mud). The rest use RapidSSL and Comodo, with tons of cost savings and way less hassle. Both RapidSSL and Comodo offer the little trust seals/logos, although I’ve always found those seals/logos to be annoying. The cost of Verisign is outrageous, and their ordering process is much much more annoying. The only thing that they give you is the fancy name, and potentially a bit more insurance (depending on the certificate that you order with an alternate vendor). It’s worth noting that they own Thawte, and have managed to make it equally sucky in the last couple of years.
