Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
of
Salt Essential Information Technology (Pty) Ltd.
Version 2013-07, Rev. 80
1. Introduction
1.1. This AUP is a description of types of activities that are not allowed on the Information Technology (IT) network of Salt
Essential Information Technology (Pty) Ltd, herein referred to as “SALT”. The Internet is developing and the ways in
which the Internet may be abused are also developing. Therefore, SALT may from time to time amend this AUP to
further detail or describe reasonable restrictions on the use of SALT’s systems, services and products in accordance
with the Service Level Agreement (SLA) of a customer or the Reseller Agreement of a reseller, and SALT’s Standard
Trading Terms and Conditions (STTC). The latest version of the AUP and the STTC are available on SALT”s web site
at https://www.salt.na.
1.2. This AUP forms part of the terms of a customer’s or reseller’s agreement / contract with SALT and systems, services or
products may be suspended or terminated for breach of this AUP in accordance with the SLA of a customer or the
Reseller Agreement of a reseller. The reseller, customer and the end-user are responsible for violations of this policy
by the reseller, customer, their users or anyone using SALT’s services, whether authorised by the reseller / customer
or not. Should the reseller or customer have any questions, please contact SALT at contact@salt.na.
2. Definitions
2.1. “User” shall mean any person, organisation, company, reseller, customer, end-user or any other legal entity, whether
authorised or not, who resells or makes any use of any system, service or product provided by SALT from any location,
including anyone who accesses networks that are owned, managed or operated by SALT’s or its customers.
3. Internet Abuse
3.1. The User may not use SALT’s system, services, network or products to engage in illegal, abusive, or irresponsible
behaviour, including:
3.1.1. unauthorised access to or use of data, services, systems or networks, including any attempt to probe, scan or
test the vulnerability of a system or network or to breach security or authentication measures without expressed
authorisation of the owner of the system or network.
3.1.2. monitoring data or traffic on any network or system without the authorisation of the owner of the system or
network.
3.1.3. interference with services to any User, host or network including, without limitation, mail bombing, flooding,
deliberate attempts to overload a system and broadcast attacks.
3.1.4. use of an Internet or network account or computer without the owner’s authorisation.
3.1.5. collecting information by deceit, including, but not limited to Internet scamming (tricking other people into
releasing their passwords), password robbery, phishing, security hole scanning, and port scanning.
3.1.6. use of any false, misleading or deceptive TCP-IP packet header or any part of the header information in an e-
mail or a newsgroup posting.
3.1.7. use of a service to distribute software that covertly gathers information about a user or covertly transmits
information about the user.
3.1.8. any activity or conduct that is likely to result in retaliation against SALT’s network.
3.1.9. any activity or conduct that is likely to be in breach of any applicable laws, codes or regulations including data
protection.
3.1.10. introducing intentionally or knowingly into a service any virus or other contaminating program or fail to use an
up to date virus-scanning program on all material downloaded from the services.
3.1.11. sending unsolicited e-mails (“spam”).
3.1.12. misrepresentation by the User as other computer networks and users.
3.1.13. any activity or conduct that unreasonably interferes with SALT’s other Users’ use of SALT’s services or
products.
4. Security
4.1. The User must take reasonable security precautions and avoid any “social hacking” activities.
4.2. Passwords should consist of at least 8 (eight) mixed alpha and numeric characters with case variations. The User
should not permit a common word to be used as a password. The User must protect the confidentiality of passwords,
and the User should change passwords regularly.
5. Bulk Commercial E-Mail
5.1. The User may not use a SALT Mail Service (such as SALT Axigen or SALT Microsoft Exchange®) to send bulk mail. A
User may use a dedicated hosted system to send bulk mail, subject to the restrictions in this Acceptable Use Policy.
5.2. Users must follow the rules documented in this Section on privacy and electronic communications which have been
created to protect fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons and particularly their right to privacy as well as
legitimate interests of legal persons within the framework of Salt’s communications network and services. The use of e-
mail for direct marketing is only allowed to recipients who have given their prior consent. SALT acknowledges that
market research is not considered as direct marketing within the meaning of the Directive above, and therefore, the
requirements set out below do not apply to bulk e-mails for market research purposes. A User must obtain SALT’s
approval in advance for any bulk commercial e-mail other than for market research purposes, for which the User must
be able to demonstrate the following to SALT’s reasonable satisfaction:
5.2.1. The User’s intended recipients have given their consent to receive e-mail via some affirmative means, such as
an opt-in procedure.
5.2.2. The User procedures for soliciting consent include reasonable means to ensure that the person giving consent
is the owner of the e-mail address for which the consent is given.
5.2.3. A User must retain evidence of the recipient’s consent in a form that may be promptly produced within 72 hours
of receipt of recipient’s or SALT’s requests to produce such evidence.
5.2.4. The body of the e-mail must include information about where the e-mail address was obtained, for example,
“You opted in to receive this e-mail promotion from SALT’s Web site or from one of SALT’s partner sites,” and
information on how to request evidence of the consent, for example, “If you would like to learn more about how
we received your email address please contact us at “abuse@yourdomain.com”.
5.2.5. The User must have procedures in place that allow a recipient to revoke their consent – such as a link in the
body of the e-mail, or instructions to reply with the word “Remove” in the subject line and such revocations of
consent are implemented within 72 hours.
5.2.6. The User must post an abuse@yourdomain.com e-mail address on the first page of any Web site associated
with the e-mail, the User must register that address at abuse.net, and the User must promptly respond to
messages sent to that address.
5.2.7. The User must have a Privacy Policy posted for each domain associated with the mailing.
5.2.8. The User must have the means to track anonymous complaints.
5.2.9. The User may not obscure the source of e-mails sent by the User in any manner. The User e-mail must include
the recipient’s e-mail address in the body of the message or in the “To” line of the e-mail.
5.2.10. These policies apply to messages sent using SALT’s systems, services, products or network, or to messages
sent from any network by the User or any person on the User’s behalf that directly or indirectly refer the
recipient to a site hosted via a SALT service. The User may not use third party e-mail services that do not have
similar procedures for all its customers.
5.2.11. SALT may test and monitor the User’s compliance with these requirements, including requesting opt-in
information from a random sample of the User’s list at any time.
6. Unsolicited E-Mail
6.1. The User may not send any unsolicited e-mail, whether commercial or non-commercial in nature, to any person who
has indicated that they do not wish to receive it.
7. Vulnerability Testing
7.1. The User may not attempt to probe, scan, penetrate or test the vulnerability of a SALT system or network or to breach
SALT’s security or authentication measures, whether by passive or intrusive techniques without SALT’s prior written
consent.
8. Newsgroup, Chat Forums, Other Networks
8.1. The User must comply with the rules and conventions for postings to any bulletin board, chat group or other forum in
which the User participates, such as IRC and USENET groups including their rules for content and commercial
postings. These groups usually prohibit the posting of off-topic commercial messages, or mass postings to multiple
forums.
8.2. The User must comply with the rules of any other network the User accesses or participates in when using SALT
systems or services.
9. Offensive Content
9.1. The User may not publish, display or transmit via SALT’s network and systems any content that SALT reasonably
believes:
9.1.1. constitutes or encourages child pornography or is otherwise obscene, sexually explicit or morally repugnant.
9.1.2. is excessively violent, incites violence, threatens violence, or contains harassing content or hate speech.
9.1.3. is unfair or deceptive under the consumer protection laws of any jurisdiction, including chain letters and
pyramid schemes.
9.1.4. is defamatory or violates a person’s privacy.
9.1.5. creates a risk to a person’s safety or health, creates a risk to public safety or health, compromises national
security, or interferes with an investigation by law enforcement bodies.
9.1.6. improperly exposes trade secrets or other confidential or proprietary information of another person.
9.1.7. is intended to assist others in defeating technical copyright protections.
9.1.8. infringes another person’s trade or service mark, patent, or other property right.
9.1.9. is discriminatory in any way, including by way of sex, religion, race, or age discrimination.
9.1.10. facilitates any activity or conduct that is or may be defamatory, pornographic, obscene, indecent, abusive,
offensive or menacing.
9.1.11. involves theft, fraud, drug-trafficking, money laundering or terrorism.
9.1.12. is otherwise illegal or solicits conduct that is illegal under laws applicable to the User or to SALT.
9.1.13. is otherwise malicious, fraudulent, or may result in retaliation against SALT by offended viewers.
9.1.14. content “published or transmitted” via SALT’s network or systems includes Web content, e-mail, bulletin board
postings, chat, and any other type of posting, display or transmission that relies on the Internet.
10. Control
10.1. SALT services and systems may not be used by persons, organisations, companies or any such other legal entity or
unincorporated body, including any affiliate or group company, which violates any laws and/or is involved with or
suspected of involvement in activities or causes relating to:
10.1.1. illegal gambling
10.1.2. terrorism
10.1.3. narcotics trafficking
10.1.4. arms trafficking or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including any affiliation with others
whatsoever who sponsor or support the above activities or causes.
11. Copyrighted Material
11.1. The User may not use SALT’s network, systems or services to download, publish, distribute, or otherwise copy in any
manner any text, music, software, art, image or other work protected by copyright law unless:
11.1.1. the User has been expressly authorised by the owner of the copyright for the work to copy the work in that
manner.
11.1.2. the User is otherwise permitted by copyright law to copy the work in that manner.
11.2. SALT will terminate the service of copyright infringers in accordance with the SLA of a customer or Reseller
Agreement.
12. Cooperation with Investigations and Legal Proceedings
12.1. SALT may monitor any content or traffic belonging to the User or to users for the purposes of ensuring that the
Services are used lawfully. SALT may intercept or block any content or traffic belonging to the User or to Users where
services or systems are being used unlawfully or not in accordance with this AUP and the User does not stop or
provide SALT with an acceptable reason within 7 (seven) days of receipt of a formal written notice from SALT.
12.2. We may, without notice to the User:
12.2.1. report to the appropriate authorities any conduct by the User that SALT believes violates applicable law, and
12.2.2. provide any information SALT has about the User, or Users or their traffic and cooperate in response to a
formal or informal request from a law enforcement or regulatory agency investigating any such activity, or in
response to a formal request in a civil action that on its face meets the requirements for such a request.
12.3. If SALT is legally required to permit any relevant authority to inspect the User’s content or traffic, the User agrees SALT
can provide such information, however, that where possible without breaching any legal or regulatory requirement
SALT gives the User reasonable prior notice of such requirement and an opportunity to oppose and/or attempt to limit
such inspection in each case to the extent reasonably practicable.
13. Shared Systems
13.1. The User may not use any shared system provided by SALT in a way that unnecessarily interferes with the normal
operation of the shared system, or that consumes a disproportionate share of the resources of the system. For
example, SALT may prohibit the automated or scripted use of SALT Mail services if it has a negative impact on the
mail system, or SALT may require the User to repair coding abnormalities in the User’s cloud-hosted code if it
unnecessarily conflicts with other cloud customers’ use of the cloud systems. The User agrees that SALT may
quarantine or delete any data stored on a shared system if the data is infected with a virus, or is otherwise corrupted,
and has the potential to infect or corrupt the system or other customers’ data that is stored on the same system.
14. Other
14.1. The User must have valid and current information on file with the User’s domain name registrar for any domain hosted
on SALT’s network.
14.2. The User may only use IP addresses assigned to the User by SALT’s staff.
14.3. The User may not take any action which directly or indirectly results in any of SALT’s IP space being listed on any
abuse database.
14.4. The User agrees that if the User registers a DNS record or zone on SALT managed or operated DNS servers or
services for a domain of which the User is not the registrant or administrative contact according to the registrars
WHOIS system, that, upon request from the registrant or administrative contact according to the registrars WHOIS
system, SALT may modify, transfer, or delete such records or zones.
15. Consequences of Violation of AUP
15.1. The User is strictly responsible for the use of its SALT service in breach of this AUP, including use by the User’s
customers, and including unauthorised use that the User could not have prevented. We will charge the User SALT’s
standard hourly rate for work resulting from or caused by any breach of the AUP together with the cost of equipment
and material needed to:
15.1.1. investigate or otherwise respond to any suspected violation of this AUP.
15.1.2. remedy any harm caused to SALT or any of SALT’s customers by the use of the User’s service in violation of
this AUP.
15.1.3. respond to complaints.
15.1.4. have SALT’s Internet Protocol numbers removed from any “blacklist”.
16. Disclaimer
16.1. SALT is under no duty, and by this AUP are not deemed to undertake a duty, to monitor or police any User activities
and we disclaim any responsibility for any misuse of SALT’s network.