Acceptable Use Policy

1. Policy Overview

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines prohibited uses of HardBrain Ltd's (Company No. 16742986) ("HardBrain") VPS hosting services. This policy protects HardBrain, our customers, and the internet community from unethical, irresponsible, and illegal activities. Violation of this policy may result in service suspension or termination.

2. Prohibited Activities

2.1 Illegal Activities

Use of our services for any illegal purpose or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law is strictly prohibited:

• Distribution of pirated software, movies, music, or other copyrighted material
• Hacking, cracking, or distributing hacking tools
• Distribution of malware, viruses, trojans, or ransomware
• Phishing or identity theft operations
• Credit card fraud or financial crimes
• Sale of illegal drugs, weapons, or counterfeit goods
• Child exploitation or abuse material (zero tolerance)
• Human trafficking or exploitation
• Any activity that violates federal or international law

2.2 Network Abuse

• Port scanning or network vulnerability scanning without permission
• Denial of Service (DoS) or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
• IP spoofing or ARP poisoning
• Packet sniffing or network monitoring of others
• Intentional interference with other users' services
• Attempting to breach security or authentication measures
• Unauthorized access to other servers, networks, or systems

2.3 Email and Messaging Abuse

• Sending unsolicited bulk email (spam)
• Operating email lists without proper opt-in procedures
• Selling or renting email lists
• Email harvesting or scraping
• Forging email headers or sender information
• Operating open mail relays or proxies
• Sending emails to purchased or rented lists

2.4 Resource Abuse

• Cryptocurrency mining without prior written approval
• Excessive CPU usage that impacts other customers
• Running services that consume disproportionate bandwidth
• Automated queries or attacks against third-party services
• Operating BitTorrent trackers or similar services
• Mass downloading or scraping of content

2.5 Content Restrictions

• Adult content without proper age verification systems
• Hate speech, harassment, or discriminatory content
• Content promoting violence or terrorism
• Defamatory or libelous content
• Content violating intellectual property rights
• Fraudulent or deceptive content

3. Permitted with Notification

The following activities require prior notification to HardBrain support:

• VPN Services: Must notify us and ensure no illegal activity
• Proxy Services: Require approval and monitoring
• IRC Servers: Must implement abuse prevention measures
• Game Servers: Should notify to ensure adequate resources
• Tor Exit Nodes: Require special approval and legal review
• Backup Services: Large storage operations need approval

4. Security Requirements

Customers are responsible for the security of their VPS:

• Keep operating systems and software updated with security patches
• Use strong passwords and secure authentication methods
• Configure firewalls appropriately
• Monitor for unauthorized access or suspicious activity
• Respond promptly to security notifications from HardBrain
• Implement SSL/TLS for sensitive data transmission
• Regular backups of important data

5. Bandwidth and Resource Usage

5.1 Fair Use: While we provide generous bandwidth allocations, usage must be reasonable and not impact other customers.

5.2 Excessive Use: If your usage significantly exceeds normal patterns or impacts infrastructure, we may:

• Contact you to discuss usage patterns
• Request optimization of your services
• Recommend upgrading to a higher-tier plan
• Temporarily throttle bandwidth in extreme cases

5.3 CPU and Memory: Sustained high CPU usage (above 80% for extended periods) may trigger investigation to ensure it doesn't impact others.

6. Copyright and DMCA

6.1 Compliance: HardBrain complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and other copyright laws.

6.2 Infringement: If we receive a valid DMCA takedown notice:

• We will forward the notice to you
• You must respond within 24 hours
• Infringing content must be removed immediately
• Repeated violations may result in service termination

6.3 Counter-Notice: If you believe a takedown was issued in error, you may file a counter-notice according to DMCA procedures.

7. Reporting Violations

If you become aware of any violations of this AUP, please report them to:

8. Enforcement

8.1 Investigation: HardBrain reserves the right to investigate suspected AUP violations.

8.2 Actions: Depending on the severity, we may:

8.3 Cooperation: We cooperate fully with law enforcement and comply with valid legal requests for information.

9. Account Responsibility

You are responsible for all activity under your account, including:

• Actions of users you grant access to
• Compromised accounts or servers
• Activity from your IP addresses
• Content hosted on your VPS

10. Modifications

HardBrain reserves the right to modify this AUP at any time. Material changes will be announced via email and posted on our website. Your continued use of services after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified AUP.