GMO GlobalSign
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA global certificate authority and provider of digital identity, public-key infrastructure, and internet security services.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
GlobalSign is a Belgium-founded certificate authority and digital identity company that provides public-key infrastructure (PKI), electronic trust, and internet security services. Its offerings are designed to authenticate websites, organizations, users, email accounts, software, and connected devices. The brand is best known for TLS certificates used to establish encrypted and authenticated HTTPS connections, but its activities extend into managed PKI, S/MIME email certificates, code and document signing, identity management, and Internet of Things certificate services. The company was established in Belgium in 1996. Its business developed around the need for trusted digital certificates and the broader infrastructure required to verify identities over public networks. In 2007, GlobalSign was acquired by GMO Internet Group, a Japanese internet-services group that had previously operated GeoTrust Japan. The acquisition connected GlobalSign to GMO's wider portfolio of internet, cloud, infrastructure, and security businesses while preserving GlobalSign as an international trust-services brand. GlobalSign's business scope includes certificate issuance, certificate lifecycle administration, automated enrollment, enterprise identity integration, and cloud-based trust services. Its managed PKI products allow organizations to issue and administer certificates at scale, while its certificate-management tools can integrate with Microsoft Active Directory and user-account systems. The company also supports S/MIME certificates for email authentication and encryption, helping organizations establish trusted identities for employees and mailboxes. A major area of expansion has been machine and device identity. GlobalSign's IoT Identity Platform uses PKI to provision and manage identities for connected equipment and systems. The platform is aimed at sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, smart grids, payments, healthcare, gateways, and other industrial or enterprise IoT environments. Its architecture is intended to handle large populations of devices and includes functions associated with registration authorities, certificate lifecycle management, and direct or connected certificate-authority services. GlobalSign has also invested in tools intended to improve the operational quality of encrypted web services. In 2012 it introduced a free SSL Configuration Checker that enabled website operators to assess TLS settings and receive remediation guidance. The company has emphasized certificate revocation infrastructure as part of the reliability of HTTPS, including the use of content-delivery-network technology and IPv6-compatible certificate-revocation-list services. Trust regulation is another important part of the company's positioning. GlobalSign became a Qualified Trust Service Provider under the European Union's eIDAS framework in 2018 and also held qualified status in the United Kingdom. Following the UK's departure from the European Union, it was approved in 2021 as the UK's first QTSP. These qualifications support the provision of regulated electronic trust services, including services associated with advanced and qualified electronic signatures. The company has participated in industry organizations including the CA/Browser Forum, the Certificate Authority Security Council, the Cloud Signature Consortium, and the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association. It has also participated in Adobe's cloud-signature partner ecosystem. In 2014, GlobalSign acquired Finnish identity and access-management software developer Ubisecure Solutions; the business was later separated from GlobalSign in 2016. GlobalSign operates internationally through offices and business activities in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its current positioning combines the foundational role of a public certificate authority with enterprise automation, regulated trust services, cloud identity, email security, and device authentication.
History
GlobalSign was founded in Belgium in 1996 as a provider of digital certificates and internet trust services. Its early business was built around the public-key infrastructure that allows websites and other networked services to prove their identities and establish encrypted connections. As internet commerce, enterprise networking, and browser-based applications expanded, certificate authorities became important intermediaries between organizations operating online and the software platforms that validated their certificates. In 2007, GlobalSign was acquired by GMO Internet Group, a Japanese internet-services company. GMO had previously operated GeoTrust Japan, and the transaction placed GlobalSign within a broader technology group while allowing it to continue developing as an international certificate-authority brand. GlobalSign subsequently maintained operations and offices across Europe, the United States, and Asia. The company expanded beyond individual website certificates into managed PKI and enterprise automation. Its services came to include TLS certificates, S/MIME certificates for email, certificate-management software, and integrations with Microsoft Active Directory and enterprise identity systems. In 2012, GlobalSign released a free SSL Configuration Checker to help website administrators identify and correct TLS deployment problems. It also developed certificate-revocation services intended to make the status of certificates more accessible and reliable, including infrastructure using content-delivery networks and support for IPv6-compatible revocation lists. In September 2011, GlobalSign temporarily stopped issuing authentication certificates after an attacker using the name ComodoHacker claimed to have compromised its systems and the systems of other certificate authorities. The company treated the claim as a serious potential threat and engaged Dutch security firm Fox-IT to investigate. GlobalSign later reported that an external web server had been compromised and its certificate stolen, but that an air gap separated this server from the certificate-issuing machine containing the root certificate. The final report found no evidence of fraudulent certificates being issued or customer information being exposed. The incident led to the cancellation of the affected server certificate and software remediation, while certificate issuance resumed after approximately a week. GlobalSign broadened its identity and access-management capabilities in 2014 through the acquisition of Helsinki-based Ubisecure Solutions. Ubisecure was a privately held IAM software developer and was later spun out of GlobalSign in 2016. The transaction reflected the company's interest in identity services beyond the traditional browser-certificate market. The company also developed products for machine identity and connected-device security. In 2018, it launched the IoT Identity Platform, which applies PKI-based identities to devices and systems in areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, smart grids, payments, healthcare, and industrial gateways. The platform includes functions for device enrollment, registration authorities, certificate lifecycle management, and connections to certificate-authority infrastructure. This direction positioned GlobalSign to address the growing need to authenticate large numbers of machines rather than only websites or human users. Regulated electronic trust became another part of GlobalSign's development. In 2018, it became a Qualified Trust Service Provider under the eIDAS framework in both the European Union and the United Kingdom. After the UK's departure from the European Union, GlobalSign was approved in 2021 as the UK's first QTSP. These recognitions support the company's involvement in regulated electronic signatures and other trust services. GlobalSign has participated in industry bodies and alliances including the CA/Browser Forum, the Certificate Authority Security Council, the Cloud Signature Consortium, and the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association. It has also participated in Adobe's cloud-signature partner program. By 2015, Netcraft ranked GlobalSign as the world's fourth-largest certificate authority, reflecting its position in the global public-certificate market at that time. The company continues to combine certificate authority operations with managed PKI, email security, electronic trust, and IoT identity services.
- 2022
Auto Enrollment Gateway adds S/MIME automation
[1]The latest described AEG release automates S/MIME certificate configuration in Outlook for Windows through GlobalSign's cross-platform agent.
- 2021
UK QTSP approval
[1]GlobalSign is approved as the UK's first Qualified Trust Service Provider after the UK's exit from the European Union.
- 2018
GlobalSign becomes a Qualified Trust Service Provider
[1]GlobalSign receives QTSP status under eIDAS in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
- 2018
IoT Identity Platform launches
[1]The company introduces a PKI-based platform for authenticating and managing connected devices.
- 2016
Ubisecure is spun out
[1]The Ubisecure business is separated from GlobalSign.
- 2015
GlobalSign is ranked fourth among certificate authorities
[1]A Netcraft survey identifies GlobalSign as the world's fourth-largest certificate authority as of January 2015.
- 2014
Ubisecure Solutions is acquired
[1]GlobalSign acquires Finnish identity and access-management software company Ubisecure Solutions.
- 2013
Auto Enrollment Gateway is introduced
[1]GlobalSign launches a platform for automated certificate provisioning and deployment, including Active Directory integration.
- 2012
SSL Configuration Checker is introduced
[1]The company launches a free web-based TLS configuration assessment tool with corrective guidance.
- 2011
Certificate issuance is suspended during a security investigation
[1]GlobalSign temporarily suspends issuance after a claimed compromise and commissions Fox-IT to assess the incident.
Products and positioning
An international digital trust provider combining public certificate-authority services with enterprise PKI automation, regulated electronic trust services, email identity, and scalable IoT authentication.
Web security and authentication
TLS certificates
GlobalSign's TLS certificates authenticate websites and enable encrypted HTTPS connections. They form the company's traditional certificate-authority offering and support organizational, domain, and service identities in web and enterprise environments.
Enterprise identity infrastructure
Managed PKI
Managed PKI services provide organizations with centralized certificate issuance, policy administration, lifecycle management, and deployment. They are intended for enterprises that need to manage certificates across users, systems, applications, and devices rather than administer each certificate individually.
Certificate lifecycle management
Certificate Manager
GlobalSign's cloud-based certificate-management capabilities help organizations discover, issue, renew, revoke, and administer certificates. The service integrates with enterprise directories and account systems to support repeatable administrative workflows.
Email security
S/MIME certificates
S/MIME certificates authenticate email senders and support message encryption. GlobalSign provides these certificates as part of its enterprise identity portfolio, with later Auto Enrollment Gateway functionality designed to automate their deployment in Outlook for Windows.
PKI automation · 2013
Auto Enrollment Gateway
Auto Enrollment Gateway automates certificate enrollment, provisioning, installation, and deployment. It integrates with Microsoft Active Directory and, in the 2022-described release, uses a cross-platform agent to apply policies and automate S/MIME certificates in Outlook for Windows.
Internet of Things security · 2018
IoT Identity Platform
The IoT Identity Platform applies PKI-based identity to connected devices and systems. It includes IoT Edge Enroll for registration-authority and lifecycle functions, alongside IoT CA Direct and IoT CA Connect, and is designed for large device populations in industrial and enterprise settings.
Security assessment tool · 2012
SSL Configuration Checker
This free online tool evaluates a website's TLS configuration and offers practical guidance for addressing weak or exploitable settings. It was created to help website operators improve the deployment quality of encrypted services.
Brand decisions
2022
Updated Auto Enrollment GatewayOtherBackground
Organizations needed a less manual way to deploy and maintain S/MIME certificates across employee email environments.
Action taken
GlobalSign released an updated AEG version that uses its cross-platform agent to set policies and automatically enroll, provision, and install S/MIME certificates in Outlook for Windows.
Aftermath
The update strengthened the product's enterprise automation focus and connected PKI administration more closely with everyday email infrastructure.
2018
Launch of IoT Identity PlatformProduct launchBackground
The growth of connected devices created demand for scalable identities and certificate lifecycle controls for machines and industrial systems.
Action taken
GlobalSign introduced a PKI-based IoT platform with device enrollment, registration-authority functions, and certificate lifecycle support.
Aftermath
The offering expanded GlobalSign's addressable market into manufacturing, agriculture, smart grids, payments, healthcare, gateways, and other IoT applications.
2014
Acquisition of Ubisecure SolutionsM&ABackground
GlobalSign sought to broaden its digital identity capabilities beyond certificate authority services.
Action taken
The company acquired Helsinki-based Ubisecure Solutions, a private identity and access-management software developer.
Aftermath
Ubisecure was later spun out of GlobalSign in 2016.
2012
Launch of SSL Configuration CheckerProduct launchBackground
Inconsistent or weak TLS configurations could undermine the protection offered by otherwise valid certificates.
Action taken
GlobalSign launched a free online checker that assessed TLS deployments and supplied remediation guidance.
Aftermath
The tool extended GlobalSign's role from certificate issuance into operational support for secure HTTPS configuration.
2011
Precautionary suspension of certificate issuanceStrategyBackground
An attacker publicly claimed to have compromised GlobalSign and other certificate authorities, creating a potential risk to the integrity of certificate issuance.
Action taken
GlobalSign temporarily stopped issuing authentication certificates, commissioned Fox-IT to investigate, and published an incident report and final findings.
Aftermath
The investigation found that a web server had been breached but found no evidence that the protected certificate-issuing system had been accessed or that fraudulent certificates or customer-data exposure had resulted.
Recent events
Reported
GlobalSign wins Cloud IoT Product of the Year[3]
GlobalSign announced that its IoT Identity Platform won the Cloud IoT Product of the Year category at Computing's 2020 Cloud Excellence Awards.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
GlobalSign achieves ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 certifications[4]
GlobalSign achieved ISO 27001 information security management and ISO 22301 business continuity management certifications after completing a formal audit.
Sources4 sources
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