Acceptable Use Policy

Offensive Content #

You may not publish or transmit any content through our services that we reasonably believe:

• Contains pornography, including child exploitation materials;
• Incites or threatens violence, harassment, or hate speech;
• Is deceptive or unfair under consumer protection laws (e.g., chain letters, pyramid schemes);
• Defames or invades an individual's privacy;
• Poses risks to public safety, compromises national security, or hinders law enforcement investigations;
• Inappropriately discloses trade secrets or confidential information;
• Aims to circumvent copyright protections or infringe on intellectual property rights;
• Promotes illegal substances, violates export laws, or pertains to illegal gambling or arms trafficking;
• Is otherwise unlawful, encourages illegal conduct, or is malicious, fraudulent, or likely to provoke retaliation against us.

Harassment & Professional Conduct #

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment, malice, or abuse directed at our employees, representatives, or subsidiaries. Any form of harassment, including but not limited to abusive language, cursing, threats, or expressions of hostility toward our staff or authorized agents, is strictly prohibited.

Customers are expected to uphold professionalism in all interactions with our team, whether via email, phone, live chat, or any other communication channel. In the event a customer violates this policy, we reserve the right to take corrective action, which may include service suspension or termination. Such action may be taken with or without prior notice and without liability to the customer.

Backup Limitations and File Exclusions #

To maintain optimal server performance, KnownHost reserves the right to exclude certain file types from automated backups and may delete these files if they consume excessive storage space. Excluded files may include, but are not limited to:

• Local cPanel or Softaculous backups stored on the server.
• Temporary backup files and temporary cache files or folders from CMS systems or plugins.
• Large error logs or log files unrelated to website functionality.
• Redundant backup logs or any file deemed non-essential for core website functionality.

Customers are encouraged to regularly download and store critical backups locally, as KnownHost does not guarantee preservation of excluded files.

Resource Usage #

Customers are prohibited from engaging in activities that excessively consume resources, disrupt performance, or negatively impact service stability. Any usage that leads to performance degradation or disproportionate consumption of shared resources is strictly prohibited and applies to all account types.

We reserve the sole right to define what constitutes resource abuse and to take appropriate actions to maintain service integrity. Accounts found in violation may be suspended or terminated, with or without prior notice and without liability. Specific restrictions for each package type are outlined below; unless otherwise specified, all general AUP provisions apply to every account.

General Restrictions (applicable to Shared, Reseller, Semi-Dedi, and WordPress Accounts):

• Prohibited Usage for Storage and Media: Accounts are intended solely for web hosting purposes and may not be used for general file storage, email archiving, media streaming, backups, or archival purposes. Hosting space is limited to active website files, email directly related to website functionality, and essential web content. Offsite storage of electronic files, media archives, or online file-serving (FTP) is strictly prohibited.
• Email Service Restrictions: Access to remote SMTP or mail services is prohibited; only local email or API-based services are allowed.
• Email Sending Limits: Accounts, including any sub-accounts, must not exceed the stated hourly email limit.
• MySQL Query Limits: Each MySQL query has a maximum execution time of 30 seconds.
• Maximum execution time: Accounts are restricted from operating back-end services or servers requiring a process to remain running longer than 60 seconds.

Additional Restrictions:

• Legacy Managed VPS Accounts: Usage of 25% or more of system CPU resources for longer than 90 seconds is prohibited (includes Perl Scripts, CGI, PHP, Python, HTTP, etc.).
• WordPress Accounts: WordPress accounts are designed exclusively for WordPress hosting; other software installations are not supported.
• Reseller and Semi-Dedi Accounts: Storage space for both primary and sub-accounts is limited to the total package limit. Disk overselling is enabled; however, if total disk usage exceeds the package allocation, the account must be brought within the package limit or upgraded to the next tier. Customers who do not comply may have their accounts suspended, and repeat offenders will be required to upgrade to a package tier appropriate for their disk usage.
• External Storage: KnownHost external storage packages are solely for storing account backup and server restoration data. They may not be used for content delivery networks, file exchange and download sites, torrents, or other bulk delivery services. All external storage packages remain subject to our Terms of Service and AUP.

Network Abuse #

KnownHost strictly prohibits all forms of network abuse, including but not limited to denial-of-service attacks, phishing, port scans, and SYN floods. KnownHost reserves the right to determine what constitutes network abuse and take appropriate action, with or without prior notification and without liability.

Customers may not engage in illegal, abusive, or irresponsible activities, including but not limited to:

• Unauthorized access or attempts to breach security of data, systems, or networks, including probing, scanning, or testing vulnerabilities without explicit authorization.
• Monitoring data or network traffic without owner consent.
• Interfering with any user, host, or network service, including mail bombing, flooding, and system overloading.
• Unauthorized use of any internet account or computer, including internet scanning, password theft, and port scanning.
• Forging TCP-IP packet headers or any header information in emails or newsgroup posts.
• Engaging in conduct likely to trigger retaliation against the KnownHost network.
• Using KnownHost’s network in a way that disrupts or unreasonably interferes with other customers' network usage.

IP Addresses #

KnownHost assigns IP addresses to clients following ARIN guidelines (https://www.arin.net/policy/nrpm.html). All IP allocations must comply with these policies. KnownHost reserves the right to request verification of assigned IP addresses at any time and may revoke IP assignments at its discretion.

Prohibited Materials and Services #

KnownHost prohibits the hosting of materials and services including, but not limited to:

• Public proxies, torrents, Tor, warez, escrow, high-yield investment programs (HYIP), illegal gambling, and lottery sites or services.
• Distributed computing software, including SETI@home, coin miners, and CHIA miners.
• Any file-sharing, BitTorrent, or P2P network services, clients, or server software.

Content "published or transmitted" through KnownHost’s services includes web content, emails, bulletin board posts, chat, and any other transmission relying on KnownHost’s services.

KnownHost reserves the right to terminate services for any of the above reasons at its sole discretion and may decide on issuing refunds.

Security #

Customers are fully responsible for maintaining security precautions for their accounts. This includes protecting and regularly updating any login credentials provided for KnownHost systems. Passwords must remain confidential and should be changed periodically. Customers are also responsible for keeping all installed software updated and patched according to industry best practices. KnownHost makes no express or implied warranties regarding the security or functionality of third-party software or scripts installed on customer servers.

Email Sending Requirements #

Unsolicited bulk emailing, snowshoe spam operations, and email address verification or probing are strictly prohibited. KnownHost prohibits any mailing behavior that would be considered abusive or could negatively impact IP mailing reputations.

High-volume emails, such as communications to forum members or direct customer mailings for e-commerce, are permitted within the mailing limits of each package. However, using servers exclusively for bulk emailing or deploying software like PMTA for mass email distribution is not allowed.

Notices:

• KnownHost does not guarantee or warrant the mail sending reputation of any provided IP address. Customers must address any complaints received about unsolicited or spam email in a timely manner to prevent account suspension or termination.
• Sending email through compromised websites or unsecured contact forms may result in the suspension of email services or the entire account/server.

High-volume Emailing Requirements:

• Consent Requirement: Recipients must provide affirmative consent, such as through an opt-in procedure.
• Consent Verification: Your consent process must reasonably ensure the email address owner is the one giving consent.
• Consent Records: You must retain evidence of recipient consent, provide it within 72 hours upon request, and comply with KnownHost's and recipients’ requests for consent evidence.
• Revocation Process: Include a clear opt-out method in emails (e.g., a "Remove" link or instructions to reply with “Remove”). Opt-outs are honored within 72 hours, and recipients are notified of this timeframe.
• Privacy Policy: A privacy policy must be posted for each domain associated with the mailing.
• Complaint Tracking: Procedures must be in place to track anonymous complaints.
• Transparency: The source of your emails must be clear, including displaying the recipient’s email in the message body or "TO" line, and comply with the CAN-SPAM Act and other applicable laws.

These rules apply to all messages sent via KnownHost services or any other network by you or on your behalf that refers recipients to sites hosted by KnownHost. Additionally, third-party email services used must adhere to similar standards.

KnownHost reserves the right to monitor compliance and may request opt-in proof from a sample of your list at any time.

Material Protected by Copyright #

Customers may not publish, distribute, or copy any music, software, art, or other work protected by copyright law unless:

• They have explicit authorization from the copyright owner.
• They are permitted by United States copyright law to copy the work in that manner.

KnownHost reserves the right to terminate services for customers with repeated copyright infringements.

Copyright Infringement Notice (DMCA) #

If you believe your copyright is being infringed by someone using the KnownHost network, please send a written notice to:

Copyright Agent
c/o KnownHost LLC
1379 Dilworthtown Crossing, Suite 214
West Chester, PA 19382
Phone: 1-866-332-9894
Fax: 1-703-991-8896
Email: abuse@knownhost.com

Your notice must include:

• A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
• Identification of the copyrighted work(s) claimed to be infringed, or a representative list if multiple works are covered by a single notification.
• Identification of the infringing material and information reasonably sufficient for KnownHost to locate it.
• Contact information, including address, phone number, and email (if available).
• A statement of good faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, agent, or law.
• A statement confirming the accuracy of the notice and, under penalty of perjury, authorization to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

Abuse Tickets #

KnownHost's standard policy is to notify customers of AUP or TOS violations; however, KnownHost reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts with or without notice. Customers must keep their primary contact email up to date with KnownHost. Violation details will be sent to the customer’s primary email with a timeframe to resolve the issue. KnownHost retains discretion on response time and further actions if the issue is not addressed.

Examples of Violations and Actions:

• Phishing: Offending files are immediately disabled, with a 24-hour window for customers to secure the site. Failure to respond may lead to suspension of individual sites or full account suspension.
• Spam Complaints: KnownHost investigates and may disable spam sources, such as scripts or account access, pending customer response within 24 hours. Further actions, including system-wide SMTP filters or account suspension, may occur if unresolved.
• Resource Abuse: KnownHost provides a best-effort analysis, allowing time to correct resource issues. If unresolved, KnownHost may take actions, including disabling plugins, scripts, or full service suspension based on severity.

These examples serve as general guidelines. KnownHost reserves the right to determine appropriate actions for each case.

Abuse Tickets for Unmanaged Services #

For unmanaged services, KnownHost will notify customers of AUP or TOS violations, but response times may vary from immediate to 72 hours depending on the severity of the issue. If the customer does not address the issue within the given timeframe, KnownHost may take immediate action to halt the abuse. This may include, but is not limited to, IP null routing, port blocking, service suspension, or full termination of the service.

Unlike managed services, KnownHost does not actively manage or assist with abuse resolution on unmanaged services. Customers are solely responsible for investigating and resolving any violations independently.

Disclaimer #

KnownHost is not obligated, nor does it assume any responsibility, to monitor or oversee customer activities under this AUP. KnownHost disclaims all liability for any misuse, unauthorized access, or violations occurring on the KnownHost network by its customers. While KnownHost reserves the right to investigate and respond to reported violations or abuses, the responsibility for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies remains solely with the customer. KnownHost may, at its discretion, take appropriate action when aware of misuse, but this does not constitute a duty to monitor or control customer actions proactively.

Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to our legal department via email: legal@knownhost.com

Last updated on 11/14/2024