The total cost of ownership (TCO) of an SSL certificate is far more than just the price of the certificate. From security hardware, to management software, to data centre space and more, the costs of establishing a secure self-signing architecture can quickly add up. Not only that, but a do-it-yourself approach to SSL security may put an organisation at risk – from both technical and business perspectives – in a variety of ways. This paper explores the true TCO for self-signed SSL certificates, including a side-by-side comparison of a self-signed architecture versus working with a third-party SSL vendor. Before a company decides to use self-signed certificates, these issues deserve careful consideration.