Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Operations (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Operations [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 196,965	$ 172,286	$ 568,332	$ 501,749
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues	41,694	39,751	123,230	118,411
Sales and marketing	25,090	18,412	69,660	62,861
Research and development	13,488	14,468	40,156	40,483
General and administrative	24,775	33,514	86,610	101,155
Restructuring charges	2,971	6,269	12,160	14,042
Total costs and expenses	108,018	112,414	331,816	336,952
Operating income	88,947	59,872	236,516	164,797
Interest expense	(11,797)	(12,140)	(135,473)	(36,104)
Non-operating income, net	3,591	4,640	15,218	13,318
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	80,741	52,372	116,261	142,011
Income tax expense	(22,126)	(7,267)	(23,034)	(40,312)
Income from continuing operations, net of tax	58,615	45,105	93,227	101,699
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	301	740,440	(4,150)	772,660
Net income	58,916	785,545	89,077	874,359
Less: Net income from discontinued operations, net of tax, attributable to noncontrolling interest in subsidiary		(642)		(2,887)
Net income attributable to Verisign stockholders	58,916	784,903	89,077	871,472
Basic income (loss) per share attributable to Verisign stockholders from:
Continuing operations	$ 0.36	$ 0.26	$ 0.56	$ 0.57
Discontinued operations		$ 4.26	$ (0.03)	$ 4.29
Net income	$ 0.36	$ 4.52	$ 0.53	$ 4.86
Diluted income (loss) per share attributable to Verisign stockholders from:
Continuing operations	$ 0.36	$ 0.26	$ 0.55	$ 0.56
Discontinued operations		$ 4.22	$ (0.02)	$ 4.26
Net income	$ 0.36	$ 4.48	$ 0.53	$ 4.82
Shares used to compute net income per share attributable to Verisign stockholders:
Basic	163,046	173,572	167,492	179,240
Diluted	163,902	175,034	169,176	180,634
Amounts attributable to Verisign stockholders:
Income from continuing operations, net of tax	58,615	45,105	93,227	101,699
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	301	739,798	(4,150)	769,773
Net income attributable to Verisign stockholders	$ 58,916	$ 784,903	$ 89,077	$ 871,472