Acceptable Use Policy Template

This agreement sets the ground rules for how a customer may use a hosting provider’s web hosting and email services. It functions as an Acceptable Use Policy, defining appropriate use of company resources and information resources, and placing accountability on the customer to ensure compliance by every user the customer authorizes. The policy applies to employees, contractors, and other users who connect to the provider’s network systems and information systems for business purposes. Management is expected to create awareness programs and security policies so personnel understand acceptable practices, confidentiality obligations, and the integrity and protection of information stored on computer equipment and devices.

Service is provided as-is and as available. The company disclaims warranties, including merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and does not guarantee uptime or normal performance. The customer bears responsibility for its data, backups, and information stored, while the provider will make reasonable efforts to protect data on its facilities.

Reimbursement for outages is limited to fees paid; direct costs and other damages are excluded. Use must be in accordance with local laws and U. S. federal law. This is a minimum standard that the organization should carry into related rules and practices.

The company limits its liability for content and user actions and reserves the right to change the agreement at any time, to identify activities that could harm its reputation or network, and to take action. Restrictions apply where activities could compromise security, create a breach, or expose proprietary information. The company is the sole arbiter of violations and may update requirements without prior notice.

Misuse of system resources is prohibited. Users may not run programs that consume excessive CPU time, memory, or storage, or resell mail services, forwarding, or auto-responders. If a process degrades service or threatens the integrity of network systems, the provider may terminate that process immediately, without prior approval or explicit consent from the user.

Only lawful use is allowed. It is a violation to transmit material that infringes intellectual property, is obscene or defamatory, or breaches export controls. The policy clearly treats spam as inappropriate use: no unsolicited commercial or informational email.

Posting ads to forums or mailing lists, or using another provider’s services while routing responses through the company’s servers, is prohibited. Falsifying identification or user information is also forbidden. In practice, employees should communicate with clients for business purposes tied to their employees’ work duties and avoid personal mass mailings or similar information that could be seen as inappropriate.

System and network security provisions forbid allowing or attempting unauthorized access, probes, scans, service interference, mail bombing, flooding, or header forgery. While the contract does not list tools, best practice is to block or avoid port scanners, packet sniffers, and password cracking programs. Protect authentication purposes by safeguarding passwords, personal identification numbers, and security tokens.

Do not intentionally access systems or programs contained on the provider’s servers without authorization. Treat any confidential or sensitive data as proprietary information to prevent unauthorized disclosure or compromise.

The domain name and DNS sections align with ICANN policy. Transfers cannot occur during the first 60 days after registration. After day 61, transfers can proceed using standard processes, but there is no guarantee of success.

The customer is responsible for DNS entries, and fees are not refundable if a transfer fails due to WHOIS identification issues, timeouts, or other causes. This underscores the need for accurate records and prior coordination to ensure compliance with registrar procedures.

If the company suspects a violation, it may investigate and restrict access during the review. It can suspend or terminate accounts without refund and may notify law enforcement or take legal action. This accountability framework is intended to ensure compliance, protect assets, and maintain secure operations. The company owes no compensation for disruptions resulting from violations.

For practical governance, align this contract with internal management practices. Have every employee, contractor, or approved user sign an acceptance of the AUP to confirm knowledge of the rules. Limit personal use unless formally approved; if an organization permits incidental personal use, make clear that incidental personal activities must not interfere with business or normal performance.

Do not share access with family members or other acquaintances. Obtain prior approval for any nonstandard activity. Protect confidential information, including sensitive data that may be subject to regulatory regimes; organizations that handle health data should treat HIPAA compliance requirements with special care. Extend the same respect for confidentiality and appropriate use to personal email messages, voice messages, and fax machines, even when used for convenience. Public agencies should factor in open records requests when classifying information stored on company resources.

Security operations should combine computer security measures and security programs with clear processes. Enforce the minimum access needed, monitor for inappropriate behavior, and set expectations that users only connect approved devices to the information system. Maintain awareness that actions are subject to the following restrictions designed to secure the environment: do not create or transmit inappropriate content, do not compromise other users’ accounts, and do not bypass authentication safeguards. When in doubt, seek explicit consent from management before proceeding.

Finally, the agreement requires that an authorized representative sign, confirming authority to bind the organization. This signed acceptance helps identify responsibility, ensure compliance, and reinforce that all users must respect the policy and the integrity of the provider’s systems.

Proposal Kit can help teams assemble this kind of policy and related documents efficiently. Its document assembly tools, AI Writer, and extensive template library streamline writing, while automated line-item quoting supports broader business packages and proposals. Organizations can develop consistent, easy-to-use materials that align contracts, policies, and procedures without unnecessary complexity.

Beyond service terms, this type of policy is a governance tool that links security programs, human resources, and IT operations. It defines how employees, contractors, and vendors use internet access, network systems, and information resources for business purposes. The policy applies across the organization and sets expected behavior to avoid downtime, data compromise, and reputational harm. When leaders document rules and computer security measures, they reinforce integrity, protection, and appropriate use of company resources.

Human resources can embed the policy into hiring and offboarding. New personnel complete awareness training and provide signed acceptance in accordance with security policies before they receive accounts, personal identification numbers, and security tokens for authentication purposes. HR and IT provision only approved devices, connect users to the information system with the minimum access required, and remove credentials quickly when roles change.

Clarify incidental use so people understand boundaries. Many organizations allow incidental personal use of computer equipment, internet access, and communications for convenience, but restrictions apply. Personal email messages, voice messages, or fax machines should follow acceptable practices, must not interfere with normal performance or the employee’s work duties, and cannot be used to create or transmit material that violates policy. Family members or other acquaintances may not use organization facilities or connect to network systems.

Security testing should follow change control. Only qualified staff may run port scanners, packet sniffers, or password cracking programs, and only with prior approval in formally approved change windows and explicit consent from management. Do not intentionally access programs contained on systems beyond what is required for business. The following restrictions help maintain data integrity, ensure compliance, and sustain best practice monitoring.

Treat sensitive data and proprietary information with strict confidentiality. Limit access on a minimum necessary basis and prevent unauthorized disclosure. Where health or similar information is present, align operations with HIPAA compliance expectations and other regulatory compliance requirements; public entities should consider how open records requests affect retention of information stored across the environment. Clear rules reduce the chance of a breach and the risk of legal action.

Plan domain and DNS administration with defined workflows. Identify responsible owners, keep WHOIS identification current, and schedule approved updates to name servers and MX records. ICANN timing rules and transfer locks apply and may be subject to registrar processes and direct costs. Strong internal procedures help avoid avoidable failures and keep changes secure and predictable.

Establish an investigation playbook. If management suspects inappropriate use, preserve logs, restrict access, and document actions while you communicate with clients and stakeholders. Assign accountability and escalation paths so teams can respond in accordance with local laws and security policies. This approach helps the organization create knowledge, protect assets, and continue business with minimal disruption.

Proposal Kit can streamline the development of these materials. Teams can use document assembly, the AI Writer, and the extensive template library to create cohesive policy packets, onboarding checklists, and acknowledgment forms. Automated line-item quoting helps standardize related service descriptions in proposals. Its ease of use supports HR and IT in producing consistent, approved documentation that aligns security policies, acceptable practices, and signed acceptance requirements.

Treat this policy as part of enterprise risk management. Define a risk appetite for internet access and network systems, then map the rules to controls that protect integrity, confidentiality, and availability. Align computer security measures with regulatory and compliance requirements, so operations proceed in accordance with local laws while preserving accountability and protection of assets. Publish clear ownership for each control so management can identify gaps, allocate budget, and ensure compliance across departments.

Strengthen third-party oversight. Require each contractor and vendor user to sign an acceptance of the AUP and any security policies before they connect. Use non-disclosure language to protect proprietary information and confidential or sensitive data, and make appropriate use a condition of access. Extend the same rules to temporary personnel who carry out business purposes on company resources or facilities.

Tighten identity and access lifecycle. Coordinate with human resources so that onboarding grants the minimum access needed for the employee’s work duties, and offboarding immediately revokes accounts, security tokens, and personal identification numbers. Apply multi-factor methods for authentication purposes and document who approved each access change, subject to periodic recertification.

Define BYOD boundaries. If the organization allows approved personal devices, restrictions apply: separate work and personal data, block unvetted apps, and require device encryption. Family members or other acquaintances may not use work accounts or connect to information resources. Clarify that incidental use does not override security policies and that information stored on personal devices for work is still subject to company rules.

Adopt data classification and data loss prevention. Label confidential, proprietary, and public information; set handling rules for each class. Use filters to prevent users from trying to transmit material that would cause unauthorized disclosure through email, voice messages, fax machines, or similar information channels. Public agencies should tag records likely to be subject to open records requests to simplify review and retention.

Expand monitoring and audit readiness. Centralize logs from network systems and the information system to spot signs of compromise and inappropriate use. Track metrics such as training completion, incident counts, and time to contain a breach. Maintain evidence that users read and sign the latest version, and keep version history so leaders can show how the policy applies over time.

Manage capacity and performance. To prevent misuse of system resources and to preserve normal performance, set reasonable quotas, rate limits, and alerts for CPU time, storage, and outbound email. Only formally approved testing teams may run diagnostic tools; even then, they require prior approval and explicit consent.

Improve domain and DNS governance. Maintain a domain inventory, registrar access controls, change windows, and dual authorization for edits to DNS records. Assign named owners for registrar and DNS providers, budget for direct costs, and apply change logs so you can review who made edits and why. Coordinate TTL changes and rollbacks to reduce disruption during migrations and ensure compliance with registrar procedures.

Elevate incident response maturity. Conduct tabletop exercises, keep an escalation matrix, and document how to preserve logs if a violation occurs. Coordinate with legal and communications teams before contacting clients or regulators, and plan for situations that may lead to legal action under applicable laws.

Formalize an exception process. When business needs require deviations from the rules, document the request, risk, compensating controls, a review date, and who approved it. Exceptions should be temporary and tracked so management can reevaluate them later.

These practices benefit the target audience by reducing confusion, speeding onboarding, limiting downtime, and improving security without blocking productivity. Clear rules help employees communicate confidently with clients, protect company resources, and avoid inappropriate use that could compromise business operations.

Proposal Kit can help you create cohesive policy packs that include the AUP, onboarding acknowledgments, exception request forms, incident report templates, domain transfer checklists, and related procedures. Its document assembly, AI Writer, and extensive template library make it easier to generate consistent, approved materials, while automated line-item quoting helps package associated services in proposals. This streamlines authoring and keeps your documentation easy to use and ready to share.

How to write my Acceptable Use Policy Template document - The Narrative

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