What Is An Acceptable Use Policy?

Date First Published: 6th August 2023

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Ethics & Sustainability

Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 3/10

Learn about what an acceptable use policy is in this article.

In ICT, an acceptable use policy is a document that contains a list of allowed and prohibited activities for employees, students, and other people using the network in the organisation. Most organisations have acceptable use policies that inform employees of how they can and cannot use IT systems whilst at work, like which websites they can visit and appropriate behaviour online.

Employees who use IT systems for activities not allowed under the acceptable use policy can be subject to disciplinary action. This may include warnings and temporary suspensions of using IT systems. Persistent and severe violations of the acceptable use policy can result in more serious disciplinary action, like termination of employment.

To ensure that employees are aware of the acceptable use policy and can understand it, organisations often use as little jargon and complex wording as possible, provide training classes, and test employees' knowledge of best practices for computer security with questionnaires. Organisations should also ensure that it is regularly updated, especially when there is a change in business operations.

Example Of An Acceptable Use Policy

Although there is no official list or code for an acceptable use policy on the internet and the policy will vary, based on the organisation, it is still important to use IT systems appropriately in an organisation. Below are 10 examples of rules to follow for acceptable use:

• Do not send junk messages or spam to other users.
• Do not send personal abuse or threatening messages to others.
• Do not access other people's files without their permission.
• Do not use the computers to play games, check personal social media, or stream files.
• Only access the system with your own username and password and do not share it with anyone else.
• Do not use the computers to engage in any cyberattacks, including email bombs, DDoS attacks, brute-force attacks, etc.
• Respect other people's privacy by not revealing their personal information, photos, or videos they may not want posted online.
• Respect copyright and do not post copyrighted material that you don't have permission to share.
• Do not use emails to engage in spreading viruses, malware, chain emails, or phishing.
• Use appropriate language. Remember that you are representing the organisation and that you are using a non-private network.

Benefits Of An Acceptable Use Policy

There are several risks when employees use IT systems in an organisation, including viruses and malware, privacy risks, and distractions from viewing social media, playing games, and streaming files. Ensuring that an acceptable use policy is in place is an effective way to inform employees of allowed and disallowed activities, reducing the chances of these risks. It is important that preventative actions are taken before organisations start to use IT systems.

Without an acceptable use policy, employees wouldn't know what they are allowed and not allowed to do using IT systems. This would leave organisations vulnerable to all sorts of risks and issues, such as staff being cyberbullied and harassed and legal issues. Inexperienced employees may not know that posting some types of content, such as private organisation or staff information, is not okay.

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