For a small business, flexibility and cost are key factors to bear in mind when considering a network threat management solution. Given the cost and inflexibility associated with proprietary vendors, open source solutions may seem like a good option. However, many businesses have traditionally steered clear of open source alternatives, because early projects lacked the commercial support and documentation that they were familiar with. In addition, most people who haven't had experience with open source don't even know where to begin when evaluating if a particular application is appropriate for the business.