Acceptable Use Policy

An acceptable use policy (AUP; also sometimes acceptable usage policy) is a set of applied by rulesnetwork and websit owners which restrict the ways in which the network or may be used. AUP documents are written for site corporations, businessess, universities, school, and website owners often to reduce the potential for legal actions that may be taken by a user, and often with little prospect of enforcement.

Acceptable use policies are also integral to the framework of information security policies; it is often common practice to ask new members of an organization to sign an AUP before they are given access to its information systems. For this reason, an AUP must be consise and clear, while at the same time covering the most important points about what users are, and are not, allowed to do with the IT systems of an organization. It should refer users to the more comprehensive security policy where relevant. It should also, and very notably, define what sanctions will be applied if a user breaks the AUP. compliance with this policy should, as usual, be measured by regular audits.