Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines the rules governing use of virtual private servers and related services provided by ITT Technology (Pty) Ltd trading as IT Trust ("IT Trust"). This AUP is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service. By using our services, you agree to comply with this AUP.

2. Prohibited Activities

The following activities are strictly prohibited on IT Trust infrastructure:

Illegal Content and Activity

• Hosting, distributing, or transmitting any content that is illegal under South African or international law
• Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any content that exploits minors
• Facilitating fraud, identity theft, phishing, or financial crime
• Circumventing digital rights management or software licensing controls

Network Abuse

• Launching, participating in, or facilitating Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
• Port scanning, probing, or attempting to gain unauthorised access to any system
• Transmitting unsolicited bulk email (spam) or operating open mail relays
• Spoofing IP addresses or conducting man-in-the-middle attacks
• Any activity that degrades the performance of IT Trust's network or other clients' services

Malware and Security Threats

• Hosting, distributing, or executing malware, ransomware, spyware, or botnet software
• Operating command-and-control (C2) infrastructure for any malicious purpose
• Conducting vulnerability exploitation against systems you do not own or have explicit written permission to test

Resource Abuse

• Cryptocurrency mining that consumes excessive CPU or power beyond your provisioned plan
• Running processes that consistently consume more CPU, RAM, or network bandwidth than allocated
• Circumventing resource limits through multiple accounts or services

Intellectual Property

• Hosting or distributing pirated software, media, or other content in violation of copyright law
• Operating torrent trackers or file-sharing services primarily used for copyright infringement

3. Permitted Activities

IT Trust VPS services are intended for legitimate business and personal use, including:

• Web hosting, application servers, and development environments
• Databases, file storage, and backup targets
• VPN services for personal or business use (not for providing public proxy services at scale)
• Authorised penetration testing of systems you own or have explicit written permission to test
• Business applications, ERP systems, and remote desktop environments

4. Resource Usage

Each VPS is allocated dedicated CPU cores, RAM, and storage as specified in your plan. These resources are yours to use as needed. However, sustained network traffic that impacts other clients on shared infrastructure may result in rate-limiting or a request to upgrade your plan.

IT Trust does not impose bandwidth caps under normal use. If your usage significantly exceeds typical patterns for your plan tier, we will contact you before taking any action.

5. Security Responsibilities

You are responsible for the security of your VM. This includes keeping your operating system and applications patched and updated, using strong passwords, and configuring your firewall appropriately. IT Trust is not responsible for security incidents resulting from your misconfiguration or failure to maintain your VM.

If your VM is compromised and used to conduct attacks against other systems, IT Trust reserves the right to suspend your service immediately to protect the broader network, regardless of whether the compromise was your fault.

6. Enforcement

IT Trust monitors network activity at the infrastructure level for abuse patterns. Upon detecting or receiving a credible report of an AUP violation, we may take the following actions at our discretion:

• Warning: First-time or minor violations may result in a written warning via email.
• Rate-limiting or traffic blocking: Specific traffic types may be blocked without suspending the entire VM.
• Suspension: The VM may be powered off pending investigation or remediation.
• Termination: Serious or repeated violations will result in permanent termination without refund.

For violations involving illegal content or imminent harm to others, suspension will be immediate and without prior notice.

7. Reporting Abuse

If you become aware of any abuse of IT Trust infrastructure — by your own VM or by another client — please report it immediately to sales@ittrust.co.za with as much detail as possible, including timestamps, IP addresses, and a description of the activity.

8. Changes to This Policy

IT Trust may update this AUP from time to time to address new threats or use cases. Material changes will be communicated via email or through the portal. Continued use of our services after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised AUP.

9. Contact

Questions about this policy may be directed to sales@ittrust.co.za.