A new multifunction security device that supports VPNs is available from a company called TrustELI. The product may well be a good choice for small businesses or larger ones with multiple small sites.

Called Eli for Small Business, the appliance comes along with a $20 per month service, which updates security signatures at least 30 times per day on the virus, spam, phishing and spyware filtering software that also run on the box. The device can block Web sites and includes a firewall.

When customers plug the device into a DSL line or a router, the device automatically contacts a TrustELI server that is responsible for downloading the updates to it. The devices can create VPN connections between themselves.

The service also includes 24-hour monitoring to make sure the device is still connected to the Internet. If the appliance fails, the company guarantees to replace it within 24 hours.

The upside of this device includes the usual list of plusses for a multifunction security box: it's a single device; it's generally inexpensive and provides a range of protection for companies that lack the staff resources to gather all the components themselves.

The downsides are the same as well. It doesn't include the sophisticated management that comes with enterprise-grade point products and doesn't include what the industry considers the marquee brands of the individual security applications it contains.

At $250, Eli for Small Business is worth looking at by businesses that could benefit from its upside.

Tim Greene is senior editor at Network World.