1. Purpose of This Policy

Host Zora is committed to maintaining secure, reliable, responsible, and professionally managed hosting services.

This policy is intended to:

• Protect Host Zora infrastructure.
• Protect our customers and users.
• Maintain network and server stability.
• Prevent fraud and abuse.
• Protect IP address and email reputation.
• Reduce security threats.
• Prevent unlawful use of our services.
• Maintain a reliable hosting environment.
• Support compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Customers are responsible for ensuring that their use of Host Zora services complies with this policy.

2. Lawful Use of Services

Host Zora services may only be used for lawful purposes.

Customers are responsible for ensuring that their websites, applications, servers, emails, files, databases, software, and other content comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Customers must not knowingly use Host Zora services to facilitate unlawful activity or assist another person or organisation in doing so.

3. Prohibited Activities

Host Zora services must not be used for activities that are illegal, fraudulent, malicious, abusive, deceptive, harmful, or disruptive to Host Zora, our customers, third parties, networks, infrastructure, or the wider internet.

Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to, the categories described below.

4. Spam and Email Abuse

Customers must not use Host Zora services to:

• Send unsolicited bulk email.
• Operate spam campaigns.
• Use unlawfully obtained or purchased mailing lists.
• Send messages without required consent or lawful authority.
• Use misleading sender information.
• Forge email headers.
• Send fraudulent or deceptive communications.
• Operate accounts primarily for abusive bulk messaging.
• Facilitate phishing or email fraud.
• Continue promotional email to recipients who have legitimately opted out.

Customers operating mailing lists are responsible for maintaining appropriate consent, unsubscribe, and list-management procedures.

5. Phishing, Fraud and Impersonation

Customers must not use Host Zora services to:

• Host phishing websites.
• Steal or attempt to obtain passwords.
• Fraudulently collect financial information.
• Collect authentication credentials without authorisation.
• Impersonate businesses, organisations, or individuals for fraudulent purposes.
• Operate scams.
• Host deceptive payment pages.
• Conduct identity theft.
• Facilitate financial fraud.
• Redirect users to malicious or fraudulent websites.

6. Malware and Malicious Software

Customers must not knowingly:

• Upload or distribute malware.
• Distribute viruses.
• Host ransomware.
• Distribute spyware.
• Operate malicious scripts.
• Host trojans or malicious payloads.
• Operate botnets.
• Use services as malicious command-and-control infrastructure.
• Intentionally compromise other systems.
• Distribute software primarily designed for malicious or unauthorised access.

Where malware or malicious activity is detected, Host Zora may isolate, restrict, disable, or suspend the affected service in order to protect infrastructure, customers, and third parties.

7. Hacking and Unauthorised Access

Customers must not use Host Zora services to:

• Access systems without authorisation.
• Attempt to bypass authentication controls.
• Exploit vulnerabilities without permission.
• Conduct brute-force attacks.
• Attempt password cracking against third-party systems.
• Interfere with third-party networks.
• Compromise other customer accounts.
• Conduct malicious penetration attempts without authorisation.

Legitimate security testing must only be performed against systems for which the customer has appropriate authorisation and must not negatively affect Host Zora infrastructure or third parties.

8. Network Scanning and Port Scanning

Customers must not use Host Zora infrastructure, including Windows VPS, to perform abusive or unauthorised:

• Port scanning
• Vulnerability scanning
• Network probing
• Automated exploitation
• Credential scanning
• Internet-wide scanning

Legitimate scanning of systems owned or lawfully controlled by the customer may be permitted where it does not violate applicable law, third-party rights, upstream-provider requirements, or Host Zora network policies.

9. DDoS and Network Attacks

Host Zora services must not be used to:

• Launch DDoS attacks.
• Participate in DDoS attacks.
• Operate DDoS-for-hire services.
• Generate malicious network floods.
• Amplify attacks against third parties.
• Deliberately disrupt networks, servers, or online services.

10. Windows VPS Acceptable Use

Customers using Windows VPS services have greater administrative control over their server environment and therefore greater responsibility for securing and managing it appropriately.

Windows VPS customers must:

• Protect administrator and Remote Desktop credentials.
• Use strong passwords.
• Maintain appropriate operating-system security.
• Keep customer-managed software reasonably secure and updated.
• Use appropriately licensed applications and software.
• Prevent unauthorised users from accessing the VPS.
• Respond to legitimate abuse or security reports.
• Ensure VPS activity complies with this AUP.

Windows VPS must not be used for:

• Spam operations.
• Phishing.
• Malware distribution.
• Botnets.
• DDoS attacks.
• Unauthorised network attacks.
• Brute-force attacks.
• Fraud.
• Illegal activities.
• Unauthorised scanning.
• Deliberate IP reputation abuse.
• Activities designed to evade security or abuse-detection systems.

Host Zora may restrict network access or suspend a VPS where serious abuse or an immediate security threat is detected.

11. Proxy, VPN and Traffic Relay Services

Public proxy, VPN, tunnelling, relay, or similar traffic-forwarding services may only be operated where permitted by the applicable Host Zora plan and upstream infrastructure provider.

Customers operating permitted services remain responsible for activity and traffic originating through those services.

Such services must not be used to deliberately:

• Conceal malicious activity.
• Facilitate fraud.
• Unlawfully bypass security restrictions.
• Conduct cyberattacks.
• Distribute malware.
• Facilitate violations of this AUP.

Host Zora may restrict such services where they create security, abuse, legal, or network-reputation concerns.

12. Cryptocurrency Mining and Resource-Intensive Computing

Cryptocurrency mining is not permitted on Shared Web Hosting or WordPress Hosting.

Cryptocurrency mining or similarly intensive computing on VPS services is prohibited unless expressly permitted in writing by Host Zora for the applicable service.

Customers must not use services in a manner that creates excessive or sustained resource consumption which negatively affects infrastructure or other customers.

13. Illegal Content and Activities

Customers must not knowingly use Host Zora services to host, distribute, promote, or facilitate content or activity that is unlawful under applicable law.

This includes services used primarily to facilitate:

• Fraud.
• Criminal activity.
• Unlawful financial schemes.
• Illegal distribution of protected materials.
• Sale or distribution of unlawful goods or services.
• Other activities prohibited by applicable law.

Host Zora may restrict or remove access where required by law, valid legal process, or where serious unlawful activity is reasonably identified.

14. Intellectual Property and Copyright

Customers are responsible for ensuring that they have the appropriate rights, licences, or permissions for content hosted or distributed through Host Zora services.

This may include:

• Images
• Videos
• Software
• Website content
• Documents
• Music
• Branding
• Themes
• Plugins
• Other copyrighted or protected material

Host Zora may investigate and respond to valid intellectual-property or copyright complaints.

Repeated infringement may result in restriction or termination where appropriate.

15. Shared Hosting Resource Usage

Shared Web Hosting and WordPress Hosting operate in environments where resources are shared among customers.

Customers must not use shared hosting in a way that unreasonably consumes:

• CPU
• RAM
• Disk I/O
• Database resources
• Network resources
• Email resources
• Storage operations
• Other shared infrastructure

Customers must not intentionally run applications that are unsuitable for a shared hosting environment.

Where excessive usage is identified, Host Zora may:

• Contact the customer.
• Request optimisation.
• Apply temporary restrictions.
• Recommend an upgrade.
• Require migration to a more appropriate service.
• Suspend the affected service in serious cases.

16. File Storage and Backup Abuse

Shared hosting accounts are primarily intended for hosting websites, website applications, email, and related website data.

Unless expressly included in the purchased service, shared hosting must not be used primarily as:

• General-purpose cloud storage.
• Personal file archives.
• Large-scale backup repositories.
• Software distribution mirrors.
• Unrelated mass file storage.

Website files, databases, emails, and reasonable backups directly associated with hosted websites may be permitted subject to applicable plan limits and fair-use requirements.

17. Email Hosting Responsibilities

Customers using Host Zora Email Hosting must:

• Protect email passwords.
• Maintain accurate sender information.
• Prevent unauthorised sending.
• Monitor compromised mailboxes where reasonably possible.
• Follow responsible mailing practices.
• Respond to legitimate abuse complaints where required.

If an email account becomes compromised, Host Zora may temporarily restrict outgoing email until the issue has been resolved.

Serious or repeated email abuse may result in suspension or termination.

18. IP Address and Network Reputation

Customers must not deliberately use Host Zora services in a manner that damages the reputation of IP addresses, networks, domains, or mail systems.

Prohibited behaviour may include:

• Persistent spam.
• Malicious scanning.
• Phishing.
• Malware activity.
• Fraud.
• Deliberate blacklist-triggering behaviour.

Where customer activity causes an IP address or network to be blacklisted or creates significant reputation problems, Host Zora may restrict or suspend the affected service.

19. Website and Application Security

Customers are responsible for maintaining reasonable security for customer-controlled websites and applications.

Customers should:

• Keep CMS software updated.
• Update plugins and themes.
• Remove unused or vulnerable software.
• Use strong passwords.
• Protect administrator accounts.
• Restrict unnecessary access.
• Maintain appropriate backups.
• Investigate signs of compromise.

Where an outdated, vulnerable, or compromised website creates a security threat to Host Zora infrastructure or other users, Host Zora may temporarily restrict the affected service until the security issue is resolved.

20. Account and Credential Security

Customers are responsible for protecting credentials associated with:

• Host Zora accounts
• Hosting control panels
• WordPress administration
• Email accounts
• FTP/SFTP
• Databases
• Windows VPS
• Remote Desktop
• Other administrative services

Customers should notify Host Zora promptly if they believe an account, password, or service has been compromised.

Activity performed through compromised credentials may require temporary security restrictions while an incident is investigated.

21. Reselling and Third-Party Users

Where a Host Zora service permits a customer to provide access or services to third parties, the account holder remains responsible for ensuring that users of the service comply with this AUP.

Customers must take reasonable action when informed of abuse originating from users under their control.

Host Zora may take action directly where necessary to protect infrastructure, comply with applicable law, or address serious abuse.

22. Abuse Reports

Suspected abuse involving Host Zora services may be reported to:

A useful abuse report should include, where available:

• Description of the issue
• Relevant domain or URL
• Relevant IP address
• Date and approximate time
• Supporting evidence
• Any other information that may assist investigation

Host Zora will review credible abuse reports and determine appropriate action based on the circumstances.

23. Investigation of Suspected Abuse

Host Zora may investigate suspected violations of this AUP.

Where reasonably necessary, we may:

• Review relevant account or service activity.
• Review security and server logs.
• Request information from the customer.
• Restrict specific network activity.
• Temporarily isolate a service.
• Suspend access.
• Require corrective action.

Investigations will be conducted in accordance with applicable law and the Host Zora Privacy Policy.

24. Suspension and Termination

Host Zora may restrict, suspend, or terminate a service where:

• This Acceptable Use Policy is violated.
• Illegal activity is reasonably identified.
• Fraud is suspected.
• A serious security threat exists.
• Customer activity harms other users.
• Network or IP reputation is significantly affected.
• Customer activity threatens infrastructure.
• Legitimate abuse complaints remain unresolved.
• Immediate action is reasonably necessary to prevent harm.

Where practical and appropriate, Host Zora may provide customers an opportunity to resolve less serious violations.

25. Refunds Following Abuse

Suspension or termination resulting from a violation of this Acceptable Use Policy does not automatically create refund eligibility.

Refund eligibility remains subject to the Host Zora Refund Policy.

Windows VPS services remain non-refundable in accordance with the Host Zora Refund Policy and Terms of Service after applicable provisioning or activation, except where a remedy is required by applicable law.

26. Cooperation With Authorities and Service Providers

Host Zora may cooperate with law-enforcement authorities, courts, regulators, infrastructure providers, payment providers, registrars, or other authorised parties where required or permitted by applicable law.

Where legally required, Host Zora may preserve or disclose relevant information in accordance with applicable legal processes and our Privacy Policy.

27. Customer Responsibility

Customers remain responsible for:

• Content hosted through their services.
• Activity conducted through their accounts.
• Users authorised to access their services.
• Customer-installed applications and software.
• Maintaining appropriate account and service security.
• Compliance with applicable laws.
• Compliance with this Acceptable Use Policy.

Customers should contact Host Zora if they are uncertain whether a particular intended use is permitted.

28. Changes to This Policy

Host Zora may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, infrastructure, security requirements, abuse-prevention practices, business operations, or applicable legal requirements.

The latest version will be published on our website and the Last Updated date will be revised accordingly.

Continued use of Host Zora services after an updated policy takes effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy, subject to applicable law.

29. Contact Us

For questions regarding this Acceptable Use Policy or to report suspected abuse, please contact: