Ignoring wages, hosting, DR site maintenance, general business costs etc, the other maintenance costs I can see over other SaaS/webhosting/domain businesses (which are similar).
mid $xxxxx/mo for CDN hosting
mid $xxxxx startup for the hardware (you can't store keys on disk)
mid $xxxxx anually for audit (thats the simple cost to get it done, nothing to do with performing it - manpower, expenses, recification of any issues)
[Sometimes multiplied for various other compliancies/audits around the world]
It's like this:
Webhosting - you can pay $100 a year for mid-to-low-end hosting.
You could probably do it yourself from your ADSL line, or a cheap co-lo, right? Save a few bucks.
SSL - you can pay $100 a year.
Or, unlike hosting/SaaS, even becoming your own domain-reg...you're looking at the above costs, plus waiting with your thumbs up your ass for 5+ years before you can do anything. Still paying, too.
You could bypass the wait, shell out for the hardware and then pay 6-7 figures to get a subCA and issue immediately.
Rip-off? Not as clearly as you think.
mid $xxxxx/mo for CDN hosting mid $xxxxx startup for the hardware (you can't store keys on disk) mid $xxxxx anually for audit (thats the simple cost to get it done, nothing to do with performing it - manpower, expenses, recification of any issues) [Sometimes multiplied for various other compliancies/audits around the world]
It's like this: Webhosting - you can pay $100 a year for mid-to-low-end hosting. You could probably do it yourself from your ADSL line, or a cheap co-lo, right? Save a few bucks.
SSL - you can pay $100 a year. Or, unlike hosting/SaaS, even becoming your own domain-reg...you're looking at the above costs, plus waiting with your thumbs up your ass for 5+ years before you can do anything. Still paying, too. You could bypass the wait, shell out for the hardware and then pay 6-7 figures to get a subCA and issue immediately. Rip-off? Not as clearly as you think.