Acceptable Use Policy

1. Why We Have This Policy

1.1. This Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is here to protect us, our clients and our network. By using our services, you’re agreeing to follow these rules.

1.2. The main goal is to ensure a safe, reliable, and respectful environment for everyone. We take this seriously and will act on any violations.

2. What You Can’t Do

You may not use our services for any of the following activities:

2.1. Illegal or Harmful Activities

• Anything that violates South African or international law.

• Hosting or distributing pornography, child pornography or any content that is sexually exploitative of minors.

• Promoting violence, hate speech, or harassment against any individual or group.

• Phishing schemes, fraud, or any activity designed to deceive others.

• Infringing on the intellectual property rights of others (e.g., hosting pirated software or copyrighted material without permission).

2.1.1. Objectionable Content

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to refuse or terminate service for any content we deem to be obscene, defamatory, or offensive. This includes, but is not limited to, content associated with industries or groups that conflict with our business standards, or the values or standards of Vertopia’s leadership.

2.2. Resource Abuse

• Any activity that consumes an excessive amount of server resources (CPU, memory, storage) and negatively impacts other clients. This includes things like cryptocurrency mining.

• Running scripts or processes that are designed to disrupt our services or the services of others.

• Hosting file-sharing or video-streaming sites that are not suitable for a shared hosting environment.

2.3. Email and Spam

• Sending unsolicited bulk email (spam).

• Using purchased email lists.

• Operating mailing lists that do not give recipients a clear and easy way to unsubscribe.

• Sending emails with forged or misleading headers.

2.4. Security Violations

• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any system or network.

• Distributing malware, viruses, or any other malicious code.

• Running port scans or any other activity designed to probe the security of a network.

3. Our Right to Take Action

3.1. We reserve the right to investigate any suspected violation of this AUP.

3.2. If we find that a violation has occurred, we may take action without prior notice. This can range from a warning, to suspending your account, to terminating your services entirely. In cases of illegal activity, we will cooperate fully with law enforcement.

3.3. We are the sole arbiters of what constitutes a violation of this policy.