Acceptable Usage Policy

Limitations & Acceptable Use of our Services

This Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) outlines the rules governing the use of smallbusiness.host ("SBH") servers, networks, and services. Violation of this AUP may result in the immediate suspension or termination of your account, as set out in our Terms of Business. This policy is strictly enforced and is subject to change. Your continued usage of our systems and networks indicates your full understanding and acceptance of this AUP.

1. Illegal Content

SBH's systems and networks must not be used to store, post, transmit, or retransmit any material that violates applicable UK laws or regulations. Prohibited content includes, but is not limited to:

  • Illegal Material: Any material that infringes third-party intellectual property rights, including copyrighted works, commercial audio, video, and music files distributed without authorization, in breach of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. It also includes any content that is illegal to possess, host, or transmit under UK law, including material restricted under the Online Safety Act 2023 (such as extreme violence, CSAM, or terrorist content).
  • Malicious & Pirated Software ("Warez"): Pirated software, hacking or cracking tools, phreaking utilities, emulators, backdoor information, password-cracking tools, IP spoofing software, and any methods used to encrypt or hide such materials. Providing hyperlinks to external websites containing such material is equally prohibited.

2. Illegal and Prohibited Actions

You must not take part in any of the following activities while connected to, or acting on behalf of, any site, user, system, or domain associated with SBH, its systems, or its network:

  • Spam and Messaging Abuse: Sending unsolicited bulk emails ("spam"), mailing list abuse, bulk newsgroup or discussion forum spam, or any electronic communications that violate the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
  • Credential and Password Sharing: Sharing or making your account password(s) available to any unauthorized third party, or publishing usernames and passwords to any hosts or websites on the Internet to which the general public is not entitled access.
  • System and Network Security Interruption: Any attempt to access, alter, or tamper with any part of SBH's systems or network other than the specific environments designated by the company for your direct use (e.g., your specific website and email hosting platform).
  • Unauthorised Access ("Cracking"): Attempting to bypass security, access an account, or retrieve data on any host or network (whether local or on the broader Internet) without express permission, in direct violation of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
  • Probing and Scanning: Probing, port-scanning, vulnerability testing, monitoring, or capturing/filtering network traffic of any hosts on our network without prior written authorization.

3. Mailing Lists

Where you use our Services to send similar messages to multiple recipients simultaneously or over time, you must strictly comply with the UK GDPR and PECR. You must ensure that:

  • All recipients have provided valid, lawful consent to receive such communications (or a valid lawful basis applies).
  • An easily accessible, functional "unsubscribe" or "remove" link is provided in every message.
  • All opt-out or unsubscribe requests are processed and honored immediately.
  • Invalid email addresses that generate automated "bounce" or failure messages are regularly purged from your lists to maintain data integrity.

4. System and Resource Usage

For the purposes of this AUP, system resources include bandwidth, disk space, disk Input/Output (I/O) operations, memory, and processor (CPU) utilization.

  • Monopolisation of Resources: SBH monitors its systems and networks to ensure performance stability for all clients. If your account is found to be disproportionately monopolising shared resources to the detriment of our infrastructure or other users, we reserve the right to suspend the account immediately. This measure is reserved for extreme circumstances to prevent server instability. Wherever practicable, we will work with you to resolve the underlying resource issue, and your account will be reactivated upon resolution.
  • Overuse of Entitled Resources: In the event that your account consistently utilizes more resources than your specific tier or package allows, we will notify you and outline the solutions available (such as optimizing your configuration or upgrading your service level) along with any applicable fees that may accrue if the usage is not corrected.

5. Complaints and Procedures

Complaints regarding abusive conduct, spam, or any other breaches of this AUP should be submitted by email to abuse [AT] smallbusiness.host.

When submitting a complaint, please include full email header information, relevant time stamps, and any applicable log files associated with the incident to allow our team to conduct a thorough investigation.

  • Investigation: Following a submission, we will investigate the issue. Where appropriate and safe to do so, we will normally attempt to resolve the issue directly with our client by providing guidance to prevent the matter from reoccurring or warning them of the severity of the breach.
  • Enforcement: Depending on the severity and nature of the breach, and whether it represents a repeat offense, we reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to suspend or permanently terminate the customer's account in accordance with our Terms of Business.