Great news everyone! I finished my market assessment and have a close estimate of monthly operating costs for DRK MN stake owners if you choose to have me handle your Hosting/AV/FW/DDOS protection for you. I updated the OP with this new info.

For our MasterNodes, we're setting them up with both configured built-in OS tools (such as OS Firewalls) + Professional Software Suites for Hosting/AV/FW/DDOS protection. These servers will be zero day protected and although they don't require it, will meet NIST, FIPAA, SAS 70, PCI DSS 2.0, and a bunch of other regulatory requirements.

The estimated price per 25% stake owner Team per node for this pro level AV/FW/DDOS protection is only $8.50-$10 $12 per month!
 
It should only cost a team or a person $12 a month in hosting costs + subscription fees to get a top notch, comprehensive security suite with hosting and DDOS if they have me handle their security suite requisition decisions, so I'm not asking anyone to break the bank to get pro level protection.

These fees can be paid either straight to the manufacturer prior to setting up a MasterNode paid by a Team Leader who has a Credit Card on record with them, or you can pay me at regular retail and I purchase and install it for you (must pay for 3 months of subscriptions minimum if you're having me set up your Node). Either way: I'm NOT setting up any MasterNodes unless AV/FW/DDOS protection is in place or I have access to the license to install this protection before proceeding.

[Sidebar Note: If 1 person, say a Team Leader buys this Pro level service for the rest of the team just to get the node started for me to work on, the other team members would need to pay that Team Leader for their share of Pro AV/FW/DDOS protection and re-payments would be negotiated amongst the Team.]

==

Opinions matter at this early stage. As a community, we need to set a high standard for security so that Darkcoin MasterNode Administrators aren't stereotyped as simple rubes who can't keep control of the equivalent of thousands of dollars worth of DRK. These high standards aren't being enforced at this time, but that doesn't mean that Administrators cannot follow best practices or expend the resources necessary to get adequate protection. I offer a base package that uses Highest Quality Vendors with some of the best protection that money offers while getting similar protection to what many Fortune 500 companies and the DoD use.

After canceling my previous protection suite for my first batch of nodes because I found a better fit that also costs less so...the savings get passed on directly to you!

Thanks, I did a couple posts on Reddit last week but it's due for a refresh there. Batches 1 and 2 are already closed and several people signed up on Reddit.

I meant to post this on the main DRK forum but I couldn't recall my PW and the PW reset function wasn't working for me when I had a few minutes to try to add it to the forum this weekend. Might've been a browser error, didn't have time to dig into it.

If you have a forum account over there, please feel free to post a link, as any nodes where I'm involved with the setup somehow will involve previously vetted Network Engineers or Administrators, and I hope to add legitimacy and some minimum security standards for those looking to either provide or receive services related to Darkcoin MasterNodes.

I'm also giving 10% DRK Referral Fees for 2 months of Management Fees to veteran forum members here (Activity +25) who refer someone else that signs up for this service.

They would get 10% of Management Fees earned per referral for 2 months (4 payments total). If the new user found out about this service from another person, then the new user signing up for services MUST mention the referring person's username for the referring person to receive this credit.

Finished my nightmare weekend locking down a Linux server meant for Certification & Accreditation. Budget cuts meant I had to compress a few weeks of work in a few days with little notice <grumble grumble>.

At the very least, if someone is going to insist on running a 'net connected Linux server to run a DRK MN, I recommend they at least take a look at implementing all CAT I DISA STIGs for their particular flavor of Linux. I highly doubt that a fraction of the nodes out there utilize security best practices & I bet that only a handful could pass a DISA CAT I vulnerability scan if they can be reached.

I can speak from experience that to do this properly takes hours (or even days) to do this just for one machine, as there's no automated tools for doing this. Fortunately you can just image or clone what you need once you get a solid locked down configuration for additional similar servers.

Need to take a small break as my mind's a bit fried after working OT all weekend but I'm setting up the DRK MN server and protection suite today and installing/testing security. As there's no rush, I probably won't send the funds & implement the MN functions till Wednesday or Thursday night as I'll be on work travel to one of our sister labs all day tomorrow and the extra time gives me additional time to lock it down tight prior to starting node functions.

- One more thing: no promises but there's a possibility that some Batch 3 signups may make it into Batch 2 if any Batch 2 participants decide to remove themselves from the list, so please feel free to Reserve a spot below.

If a Batch 3 sign up is fortunate to make it into Batch 2, setup fees are free and management fees are only 1.5%.

Hi Kuttingcorners,

At this point  I'm only setting up these nodes with teams maxing out at four people (minimum 25% stakes each) to simplify ownerships and decision making. We may go to 10% ownership stakes in the near future but not quite yet.

I'm paying for Pro AV/FW/DDOS for the first two nodes in Batch 1 just to get started with this service and to gain experience with administrating DRK MNs.

Going forward: Batches 2 (CLOSED) & 3 (OPEN) -

1. Team pays for Pro Antivirus/Firewall/DDOS prior to setting up node OR pays me to buy and set this up for you (at normal retail prices). This protection suite can be pre-installed or I can install and configure this for you.

The Team is either pre-made or does matchmaking through this service. If you need help building a team, please add yourself to the waiting list and I will match you with the next available pool.

2. DRK funds pooled will go to ONLY towards meeting the 1000 DRK needing to be sent to a specific address which upon confirmation of receipt of funds, registers and qualifies your server as a Darkcoin MasterNode. These DRK funds can be returned in 3 days at any time minus a 1.5% Change Ownership Fee paid by the Original stake owner. A 3 days notice must be given first so that we can replace your stake in the node without having to take the MN offline. The New stake owner also pays a 1.5% Change Ownership Fee for access to an already working, secured DRK MN).

3. Either you give me remote admin access to a server already pre-configured with AV/FW/DDOS for MasterNode software installation (15 DRK) or I set up a server for you from scratch (30 DRK).

4. Setup includes post-installation security testing.

5. DRK MN is either handed over for immediate admin PW change(s) or the node is managed on a month to month basis at the following rates which are deducted from the bi-monthly payouts of accrued DRK:

- Batch 2: 1.5% Management Fee (CLOSED)
- Batch 3: 3% Management Fee

Example (not meant as a profit projection): Timmy puts up 25% of the DRK needed to run a Batch Three DZ DRK MN AND 25% of the agreed upon Server/AV/FW/DDOS subscription fees - either monthly or annually. Over the course of ~15 days, let's assume 30 DRK was accrued by the team's node for performing DRK MN services for the DRK network.

In this case, with a 25% stake, Timmy would be paid out one-fourth of this node's coins minus a 3% fee: 7.5 DRK minus a 3% Management Fee (7.5 * 0.97), or 7.275 DRK after about 15 days.

Hope this helps!

==

Don't forget: These nodes are set up and secured by a veteran Network Engineer with a background in InfoSec and network/system design, by someone who has handled 1-2K worth of community BTC for Bitcoin rig orders, and not just "some guy that's pretty good with computers" (possibly without a trust rating anywhere). No offense to talented amateurs but I regularly work with and design Windows & Linux systems and networks that must meet the world's most stringent Certification & Accreditation requirements to be allowed to operate in field tests.

My past and present IT client list includes 3 US National Labs, MIT, NASA JPL, the County of Kauai, the State of Hawaii, and every branch of the US military including the MDA (as can be seen in my "one of a kind" series of pics in my sig below which I originally shared as KauaiDKer on the SurferMag BB).

Noted.

Thank you!

News:

- Updated B2 Waiting List
- got word yesterday I get to lockdown a Linux prototype server at work with DISA STIGs. I laugh at those that say Linux is safe or secure by nature and that its better than windows out of box. If its so safe then why am I manually applying 500+ security remediations to get it certified?
- Unfortunately, because of this rush job that got dumped on me, I need to delay the first node launch to sunday or monday night. But when I do get to them B1/2 is all free set ups and network hardening.
- Corporate Antivirus/Firewall package ordered for first batches (1-2 business days)

Hey 2dogs. Noted and updated. Thanks!

That was nice talking to you over PM.

Awesome, Thanks Otoh!

That completes funding for the first public community node and I confirm that I have received the 2nd payment for your 55% portion of our shared MasterNode, Node #1.
Funds were received and identified as TrxID: cc9ab9795db1fae0eac4c31c50121c9babb4c7d80b393cf3d407cc81ff2c13c2 from Otoh.

It looks like we're a go for the first DZ DRK MN later tonight.

Ah, I didn't hear the latest on the dates of the payouts not starting until June 14.

Wow, we have a lot of time to get ready then and work out kinks.

Also, it turns out Redditor RyanArr had beaten Anon. Gent #7 as far as reservation time, so I had to shift this gentleman down one spot to be fair to all participants.

BTW, even if you change your mind later, please feel free to leave a "Reserved" message below as a dated placeholder. You can change your mind and remove yourself from the waiting list at any time if you're on the fence.

Thanks and sorry about that. Please keep an eye out for our batch 3 or feel free to sign up and to also remove yourself from a waiting list at any time.

 We might lower the minimum stake to 100DRK for Batch3 sometime in June, if there's enough interest for these lower barriers to entry.

Super handy info. Glad you figured it out without too many issues.

 Thanks for the heads up mate!

Also, I received my first inquiry from someone who would like to offer this same service to others as part of my matchmaking services for MasterNodes. Thank you for your interest!

They may or may not choose to be vetted by me.

Wow, response has been great!

I may have been a bit muddled last night when I posted this so I'll share some additional info. Please check the last Original Post #3 for the newest info and clarifications to questions received.

Added:

- 10% Referral Fees! (Thank you for the first referral, anonymous gentleman. You were the inspiration for this referral program) Simply tell your friends about this service and if they sign up you get 10% of the Management Fees for 2 months! [Referral Offer available ONLY for Veteran forum members with activity over 25]
- Updated that MasterNode payments have doubled! Link: https://twitter.com/DarkcoinCrypto/status/471332917235290114
- Clarifications on Batch 30 DRK Setup Fees of 30 DRK in relation to separate Antivirus/Firewall/DDOS protection costs. [Reminder: Batch3 signups after June 1 will be charged this Setup Fee)
- Updated Waiting List
- Gooder grammar

Removed:

- Vitriol and negativity from OP (thanks Chief!)

Awesome! Thanks Otoh.

I'll check the wallet balance when I get off work tonight. Please shoot me the transaction ID when the deposit is made for the shared MN.

Update: the community has been notified that DRK MN payouts will DOUBLE to 20%!

Thanks, much appreciated! Any tips you can add since you've now gone thru the process?

...heading off to bed, will check in with you tomorrow.

Heh, well something paid, instead of free services. Which can be good (I use them myself often)...but...there's tons to be said about getting what you paid for (and an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure).

Ah awesome. thanks for the update.

How'd it go?

I hope you have pro-level security set up. These nodes make attractive targets.

Awesome, thanks Ozziecoin. I was going to PM you on Reddit later, but you saved me the time.  

thomas_s. will be along later to state his involvement with this new project when he wakes up. Otoh will stop by later as well.

Please state "Reserved" below in order to sign up for Batch 2 before June 1st. Management fees double and setup fees will be incurred for Batch 3 signups.

Mahalo!

DZ DRK MASTERNODE LIST

The original Reddit post was successful and Batch 1 is CLOSED!

Batch 1 nodes -

1. DZ, Otoh (45/55 split)
2. Kauai Bitcoin Club (DZ and another DZ MC member), DRKsi
3. Otoh (100%)
4. Optional MasterNode2 (DRKsi, may be teamed with others)

Batch 2 DRK MN Waiting List (to be launched when team/funds complete and Batch 1 is stable) - CLOSED

5. jwuerz (Reddit)
6. Ozziecoin (Reddit)
7. RyanArr
8. Anon. Gentleman
9. Anon. Gentleman
10. 2dogs
11. Anon. Gentleman (d...7)
12. pyre

Batch 2 Deposit Address (Please leave Tx ID and amount in thread when making a stake deposit): XvJXGuqUBzdMxXjFJdX5fTzAXgxcpM5jWh

This waiting list is closed.

Batch 3 Waiting List - (OPEN).
Batch 3 may be slotted in with Batch 2 Nodes in order to fill Batch 2 MasterNodes

13. Anon. Gentleman
14. RedditTooAddictive
15. JesseLivermore
16. Anon. Gentleman (25%, Reddit, d...b...m...n)
17. Anon. Gentleman (Reddit, s...m...e)

Batch 3 Deposit Address (10 or 25% stakes, Please leave Tx ID, amount sent, and a payout address in thread or via PM when making a stake deposit): XucWymKo3MCmVvFwGW1SKBtNrshbmfBmpE

Please make sure to include extra DRK for the transmission fee (such as 0.01 DRK extra if sending from Cryptsy, for example) when making a stake deposit as well as a DRK payout address (Feel Free to PM me if you don't want this info to be public).

===========================================================================================

Referrals receive 10% of 2 months of DRK MN Management Fees for referred users who sign up for this Darkcoin MasterNode Service:

1. Anon. Gentleman, referred #7 #8 on Waiting List (sorry, I had to move Anon. Gent #7 to #8 as a Reddit user barely beat your reservation time)

=============================================================================================

"Dear DyslexicZombei,

I'm willing to go with your service for setting up a Masternode for me. I've just a few questions left:

- In your post you state a 30 DRK fee for setting up to be able to cover costs for "antivirus, firewall, and DDOS protection which *must* be paid by the team". Am I able to purchase this myself so I can be sure of 100% pure ownership by me?

- When choosing your second package. Do I understand it correctly you or your team have full access to my wallet where DRK are stored?

- When I let you or your team set this up and have it managed, what are the total fixed costs and monthly costs? Does the % fee stop after a X DRK's as payment made?

Feel free to add me on Skype to discus all ins and outs. Make sure to PM me here since I've a few imposters. Skype: XYXYXYXY

Cheers!"


Hey man,

Now that I'm not as tired as when I posted that last night I'll try to clarify that further.

The 30 DRK is for setup fees. This setup fee is being waived for Batches 1 and 2.

The price of these mentioned protections are way too varied to nail down in one quote. What I meant about a client making 1 payment to us, they'd make 1 payment of the AV/FW/DDOS package of their choice that we buy on their behalf listing them as owners, which can easily be seen by anyone that takes the time to look OR we'll pick a package for them that should offer them sufficient protection without breaking the bank (that also can be named to a 100% MN owner who wants to move his or her software licenses to a new machine).

I'll really try to simplify that part of my post (I tend to edit and re-edit my sales posts).

I'd actually prefer that the client(s) already had their own antivirus, firewall, and DDOS protection already purchased or even pre-installed and set up (even if the client is willing to live with free DDOS) on their hardware of choice. FWIW, as a pro, I have access to all kinds of volume licenses and free software for all kinds of software, so I certainly don't need to go around stealing licenses.

To be safe, and so we're not a bunch of rank amateurs that get ripped off because we left the front door open, we can't even begin to think about putting a node up until these 3 conditions are met (and patches are up to date and set to autoupdate (but require a human to restart)).

"- When choosing your second package. Do I understand it correctly you or your team have full access to my wallet where DRK are stored?"

No, if you own the node 100% then the node is pointed at your wallet address but we don't have your private keys, passwords, authenticators, or trade accounts needed to make any use out of a wallet address alone. If you don't own the node, you're trusting us to payout your percentage of accrued DRK twice a month minus a 1.5% Management Fee for Batches 1 & 2, and 3% fees for everyone after.

"- When I let you or your team set this up and have it managed, what are the total fixed costs and monthly costs? Does the % fee stop after a X DRK's as payment made?"

Fixed and monthly costs would be dependent on customer decisions about Antivirus/Firewall/DDOS which are subscription based. When I did my original listing at the 1.5% management fee I was charging for, I was essentially hoping to break even on this (like companies have loss leader sales) just to get a couple of nodes up. The thought of making this a service came later, after I saw that there was interest.

I think 1.5-3% Management fees on top of monthly software subscriptions is more than a fair price for this service from veteran network pros, as we have a specialized skillset and experience that's taken us years to gain.

Getting back to the software package: The exception to this custom AV/FW/DDOS protection suite, is if a client didn't care or have enough knowledge to make these decisions and would like us to help them either choose a protection suite OR they could just let us handle the vendor decisions (which would be a base package that we use on nodes we own stakes in). Our own personal nodes will be hosted at Amazon or at minersource.net (still working out rates with my co-founders at minersource.net)

For the first couple nodes, they're essentially test platforms for those that will follow and I wanted to give myself enough time to get these nodes organized and running before tackling Batch 2 (which should roll out quicker when we work out this process in Batch 1).

Thanks for writing me! Hope this info helped.

Cheers,
DZ

=============================================================================================

Disclaimers/Terms:

DRK is not meant for illegal purposes and we will not assist in ANY efforts to circumvent or bypass local laws and regulations. DRK MasterNode partners must be willing to accept the following risks:

- That even with the best of intentions and the best pro security mitigations, that DRK MNs may be targets for hacking and brute force attempts, and that even the best defense can be beaten.
- That like cash, DRK can be misused for illegal purposes, but those participating is this venture will not knowingly participate in illegal activities and that should this activity become illegal in pertinent regions, we will cease activities and remove resources in exact proportion to the original terms, or remove stake owners, as necessary, to comply with local laws and regulations.
- Ownership is kept by the original stake owner(s), excluding sales of accounts, which are not prohibited but incur the following:

* 1.5% Owner Swap Fee** paid by the new owner upon completion of previously agreed upon terms between 2 parties
** 1.5% Owner Cash Out Fee paid by the original owner.

- Stake Owners must provide a 3 day notice to vacate their stake to allow arrangements to secure their original stake with a new stake owner. There is also the **1.5% Owner Cash Out Fee** meant to help dissuade Stake Owners from cashing out from MasterNodes, which can cause chaos to these small teams.

- Referral Program: Offer limited to veteran BTC Talk members to reduce fraud. 10% Referral Fees are limited to members with an activity level more than 25]

Additional Risks: We are not your business attorney or licensed financial adviser, but these are considered speculative investments. Do not invest funds you cannot afford to lose as even the best computer security can be beaten or circumvented (even companies with immense resources have been hacked previously). While near 100% uptime is the goal, we are not responsible for lost revenue in the form of Darkcoins for necessary downtime and other acts beyond our control

Resources Needed:

1000 DRK - Reserved only for function of the DRK MN. Can be removed at any time at loss of node function, so technically is not a "cost"

Costs Varies - Hardware or virtual hardware hosting (Amazon's cheapest ECS is sufficient), antivirus (highly recommended), firewall (mandatory, pro level recommended), DDOS protection (mandatory, pro level protection is MANDATORY or we will not be involved: typically costs for DDOS are $50-60 month fee for 1st level pro protection). Choose your own software suite or have me handle this for you at retail costs.


Quotes for the above hardware/software are customized based on client decisions OR we can handle these decisions for you and give you a non-marked up base quote should you not have the expertise to decide on a package. In other words no extra cost is added by us. Quotes prepped for hardware/software will be actual hardware and subscription costs at the same price as normal retail.

6/2 Update: Estimated costs for having me handle all of the above at normal retail costs = $8.50 - $10 per month per 25% DRK MN Stake Owner for my Standard Software Protection Suite Package - which includes hosting and a comprehensive security suite - chosen by a veteran IT Security Pro.

--

Set Up Process

A. 2 to 4 people agree to set up a MasterNode together at 25% stakes for 4 stakes total per DRK MN team (excluding the first DRK MN we set up which will be setup as a 45/55 shared node). Trust should have been already been built among the team in some way such as thru a vetted network engineer or veteran miner who serves as the team leader.

B. Secure resources: 1) The team secures and sets up their own hardware, ISP service, professional antivirus, firewall, and DDOS protection pre-paid by the client either directly to the relevant 4 vendors of this hardware and these services.

Alternatively, you can have all of this easily set this up thru us in 1 total payment instead of 4 (and professional hosting at minersource.net), OR 2) arrange to have us set this up as part of setup services for a small additional fee

C. 1000 DRK per MasterNode that is set up through my new service must be deposited to the DRK address listed below.

XuFmZmR5x66gbyR4rKMNBj3wPXzdoybFZJ )

for us to begin setting up the team's DRK MN. Please post your transaction ID and info when making a deposit to this address when setting up a Team Node.

I will personally send the DRK needed to the allocated address to set up the DRK MN, once the team has their minimum funds of 1000 DRK deposited at said address.

D. Administration account(s) are handed over to the client for imminent password changes OR DRK MNs are managed by us at a 1.5 - 3% monthly fee deducted at time of payouts of accrued new DRK.

==

Stake Owner Cash Out - DRK MN Stake Owners may cash out provided they give a 3 day notification so that new stake owner(s) may be found to take your place.

- There is a 1.5% Stake Owner Swap Fee paid by the new Stake Owner.

- There is also a 1.5% Stake Owner Cash Out Fee deducted from original DRK funds.

These fees are meant to help deter Stake Owners from cashing out and causing chaos among DRK MNs as well as for administrative costs.