GlobalSign, a brand of GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K., is one of the world’s longest-established Certificate Authorities (CAs), having been founded in 1996. Over the past nearly three decades, GlobalSign has grown into a global leader in identity and security solutions, enabling businesses, governments, and individuals to secure online communications, manage digital identities, and protect sensitive data. As a pioneer in the field of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), GlobalSign has played an instrumental role in shaping the modern digital security landscape, offering a diverse suite of solutions ranging from SSL/TLS certificates to identity and access management, enterprise-level PKI, digital signatures, and IoT security. What distinguishes GlobalSign is not only the breadth of its portfolio but also its commitment to innovation, compliance, and trusted digital transformation. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with regional offices across the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific, GlobalSign serves over 2.5 million digital certificates worldwide and supports thousands of organizations in managing secure digital communications and user identities at scale.
Since its inception, GlobalSign has stayed at the forefront of the digital trust movement. As the internet matured and businesses moved online, the need for verified, authenticated communication and secure transactions became paramount. GlobalSign addressed this by issuing digital certificates that validated websites, ensuring users that they were communicating with legitimate entities. These SSL/TLS certificates quickly became a standard for online security, used to encrypt data exchanged between users and websites, prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, and assure data privacy. Over the years, GlobalSign expanded its product line to include Organization Validated (OV), Extended Validation (EV), and Wildcard certificates, along with multi-domain and UCC/SAN options, catering to organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to large multinational corporations.
GlobalSign's evolution wasn’t limited to website security. Recognizing the growing demand for securing user identities and ensuring trustworthy access to networks and systems, the company extended its capabilities into identity and access management (IAM). The result was GlobalSign’s cloud-based IAM solution—a powerful tool designed to streamline user provisioning, implement single sign-on (SSO), enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), and provide fine-grained access control across cloud and on-premise applications. This was especially critical in a time where remote work, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), and hybrid cloud environments were redefining how enterprises function. By enabling secure and efficient access management, GlobalSign helped organizations minimize security risks while improving employee productivity and compliance.
Perhaps one of the most significant milestones in GlobalSign’s journey was its expansion into enterprise PKI and automation. As organizations increasingly relied on digital certificates for more than just SSL—such as securing email (S/MIME), authenticating devices and users, enabling VPNs, or digitally signing documents—managing these certificates at scale became a challenge. GlobalSign responded with its Enterprise PKI solutions, which allow IT teams to automate certificate issuance, renewal, and revocation. Through APIs and integration with Active Directory and Microsoft environments, GlobalSign empowers enterprises to seamlessly embed certificate-based authentication into their existing workflows. The GlobalSign Certificate Management Platform (CMP) is a centralized solution that provides visibility and control over all digital certificates within an organization, reducing the risk of outages, security breaches, and non-compliance.
Digital signatures are another cornerstone of GlobalSign’s offerings. As paperless workflows gained traction, the need for secure, verifiable, and legally compliant electronic signatures became crucial. GlobalSign’s digital signing solutions, including the trusted platforms like GMO Sign and Cygnature, allow organizations to digitize their document signing processes without compromising on security or compliance. Unlike basic electronic signatures, GlobalSign’s digital signatures use cryptographic technology and digital certificates to verify the signer's identity and ensure the integrity of the signed content. This is especially vital in regulated industries like finance, legal, government, and healthcare, where tamper-proof records and audit trails are non-negotiable. The Cygnature platform, in particular, stands out as a comprehensive and flexible digital signing solution that supports multiple signature types, workflows, national ID integrations, and even a blockchain security layer to provide indisputable proof of document authenticity.
GlobalSign’s reach also extends to securing the Internet of Things (IoT). With billions of connected devices expected to be in use globally, ensuring the security of machine-to-machine communications has become critical. GlobalSign addresses this challenge through its IoT Identity Platform, which enables manufacturers and service providers to issue strong, unique digital identities to each device. These identities can be used to encrypt communications, ensure device integrity, and authenticate connections—protecting against spoofing, hijacking, and data leakage. From smart cities and connected cars to industrial sensors and medical equipment, GlobalSign’s IoT security framework provides the digital trust needed to support mission-critical and life-critical operations.
Beyond its product suite, GlobalSign distinguishes itself through a relentless focus on compliance and standards. The company adheres to the most stringent industry protocols, including the CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements, WebTrust, ISO 27001, and eIDAS. Its services are designed to meet data protection regulations worldwide, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and the Indian IT Act. This commitment to compliance ensures that customers can rely on GlobalSign’s solutions to meet both their operational and regulatory requirements. Moreover, GlobalSign is an accredited Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) under eIDAS, which authorizes it to issue qualified digital certificates and qualified electronic signatures in the EU—a designation that speaks volumes about the company’s reliability and trustworthiness in the global security ecosystem.
GlobalSign’s customer base is as diverse as its offerings, serving sectors like banking, healthcare, education, government, telecommunications, and e-commerce. Large financial institutions use GlobalSign for securing online banking portals, verifying customer identities, and protecting confidential transactions. Healthcare organizations leverage its solutions to secure patient data, authenticate users, and support digital prescriptions. Educational institutions use it for campus-wide authentication and remote learning access. Even governments around the world trust GlobalSign for issuing national IDs, securing inter-departmental communications, and enabling e-governance initiatives. This versatility is a testament to GlobalSign’s scalable architecture and its ability to tailor solutions to specific industry needs.
Another area where GlobalSign shines is in its commitment to customer service and partner ecosystems. The company maintains a global network of partners, resellers, and managed service providers who extend the reach and implementation of its solutions. Through robust APIs, technical documentation, onboarding support, and dedicated account management, GlobalSign ensures that its customers and partners can deploy, integrate, and manage its security tools with ease. The GlobalSign Partner Program also enables channel partners to tap into a fast-growing digital trust market, offering value-added services and solutions to their clients while benefiting from attractive margins and marketing support.
Innovation remains at the heart of GlobalSign’s mission. The company continues to invest in research and development to stay ahead of emerging cyber threats, evolving regulations, and shifting technology trends. Whether it’s adapting to post-quantum cryptography, supporting newer authentication methods like biometrics, or enhancing user experience through AI and automation, GlobalSign is always exploring the next frontier in digital security. Its recent initiatives in document automation, blockchain-secured signatures, and zero-trust architecture reflect its forward-thinking approach and its role as a strategic enabler of digital transformation for organizations worldwide.
Moreover, GlobalSign’s thought leadership extends beyond its products. The company regularly hosts webinars, publishes whitepapers, and contributes to industry forums to educate organizations about cybersecurity best practices, compliance mandates, and emerging technologies. By fostering dialogue and knowledge sharing, GlobalSign is helping build a more informed and resilient digital ecosystem. It also runs Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that promote cybersecurity awareness among underprivileged communities, schools, and non-profits, reinforcing its belief that digital trust should be accessible to all.
GlobalSign’s operational resilience and global infrastructure also contribute to its leadership position. The company operates a robust cloud architecture with data centers across multiple geographies, ensuring high availability, redundancy, and compliance with regional data residency requirements. Its use of HSMs (Hardware Security Modules) and advanced encryption algorithms ensures that cryptographic keys and sensitive data are protected against both logical and physical attacks. In addition, GlobalSign’s platforms are built with scalability in mind, capable of handling high volumes of certificate requests, user authentications, and document transactions without compromising performance or security.
One of the reasons GlobalSign continues to thrive in a competitive marketplace is its customer-centric culture. The organization listens actively to customer feedback, incorporates feature requests, and evolves its solutions based on real-world needs. Whether it’s a small business looking to secure its website or a large enterprise rolling out PKI for thousands of users and devices, GlobalSign ensures a personalized approach that prioritizes both security and usability. This focus on customer success has earned GlobalSign numerous accolades and a loyal client base that views the company not just as a vendor, but as a long-term security partner.
In summary, GlobalSign stands as a beacon of digital trust in an increasingly complex and connected world. Since 1996, it has built a legacy as one of the oldest and most respected Certificate Authorities, continuously evolving its offerings to address the dynamic needs of cybersecurity, digital identity, and compliance. From SSL certificates and digital signatures to enterprise PKI and IoT identity, GlobalSign’s solutions enable organizations to securely engage in the digital economy while meeting the highest standards of trust, performance, and regulatory adherence. Its global presence, innovative platforms, industry certifications, and customer-first philosophy position GlobalSign as a preferred choice for digital trust solutions across sectors and regions. As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, the role of trust, identity, and security will only grow—and GlobalSign is well-positioned to lead the way.
Cybersecurity
Software and IT Solutions
Software/IT
