DigiCert to Acquire Symantec’s Website Security and Related PKI Solutions

Presumably the idea here is that DigiCert is buying Symantec&#x27;s customer database, and instead of Symantec painstakingly transferring its users to a new, trustworthy certificate issuance system, everyone will just use DigiCert&#x27;s.<p>Which, if that&#x27;s the case, will mean Google and Mozilla more or less killed the web&#x27;s largest CA.

I&#x27;m a reseller for Digicert - they just sent an announcement email about this, here&#x27;s the most interesting bit:<p>&quot;Earlier this year, the browsers proposed a plan to limit trust in Symantec certificates after discovering issues with how they were validating and issuing digital certificates. Importantly, we feel confident that this agreement will satisfy the needs of the browser community.<p>DigiCert is communicating this deal and its intentions to the browser community and will continue to work closely with them during the period leading up to our closing the transaction. DigiCert appreciates and shares the browsers’ commitment to engendering trust in digital certificates and protecting all users. &quot;

<i>From the email announcement:</i><p><pre><code> ... snip ... </code></pre> Also, some of you may be wondering about any implications our announced acquisition will have on the ongoing debate between Symantec and the browser community about trust in their certificates.<p>Earlier this year, the browsers proposed a plan to limit trust in Symantec certificates after discovering issues with how they were validating and issuing digital certificates. Importantly, we feel confident that this agreement will satisfy the needs of the browser community. DigiCert is communicating this deal and its intentions to the browser community and will continue to work closely with them during the period leading up to our closing the transaction. DigiCert appreciates and shares the browsers’ commitment to engendering trust in digital certificates and protecting all users.<p><pre><code> ... snip ...</code></pre>

How is Symantec&#x27;s cert business not a toxic asset given their historical practices?

&quot;Under the terms of the agreement, Symantec will receive approximately $950 million in upfront cash proceeds and approximately a 30 percent stake in the common stock equity of the DigiCert business at the closing of the transaction.&quot;

In any case, I wonder if Google &quot;senior executives&quot; are really involved.

Make no mistake, this is going to be an even greater period of uncertainty for current SYMC CA customers over the next six to twelve months.

Eh ? About to be untrusted by google... interesting time to sell it.