Acceptable Use Policy

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Applies to: All customers, end-users, sub-accounts, and visitors using services, infrastructure, or networks provided by SpectraCloud (Spectra Technologies India Private Limited).

Welcome. SpectraCloud provides robust cloud infrastructure, colocation, and hosting services intended for lawful, legitimate business use. We expect all customers and their users to operate within legal and ethical boundaries. This Acceptable Use Policy explains the activities that are permitted and those that are prohibited, how we enforce the rules, and what you must do if you discover misuse.

If you are a customer, you must ensure that your own users and any parties using your systems also comply with this AUP. You are responsible for their actions and any damages that arise from their non-compliance.

1. Scope and Purpose

1.1 This AUP applies to any access to or use of SpectraCloud services, network, hardware, management consoles, APIs, email, hosted applications, or any resources we provide.

1.2 The purpose of this AUP is to protect the security, availability, and integrity of SpectraCloud’s network and to reduce the risk of abuse, fraud and legal exposure for all customers and our platform. It is also implemented in line with our statutory obligations under Indian law and intermediary due-diligence rules.

2. Permitted Uses (short summary)

You may use SpectraCloud services for lawful business purposes including (but not limited to): web hosting, application hosting, backup, virtual machines, storage, development, testing, and legitimate email and marketing where recipients have consented. If a use is lawful but has materially abusive characteristics (e.g., large unsolicited bulk mailings), it may still be restricted under Section 4 (Prohibited Uses).

3. Prohibited Uses — clear examples

The following activities are prohibited while using SpectraCloud services. This list is illustrative (not exhaustive). If you are unsure whether an action is allowed, contact support before proceeding.

3.1 Illegal and Harmful Activities :

• Hosting or distributing content that violates Indian law or the laws of jurisdictions where content is accessible (including hate speech, child sexual abuse material, human trafficking, etc.).
• Engaging in fraud, phishing, identity theft, or any activity intended to defraud persons or organisations.

3.2 Intellectual Property Infringement :

• Hosting, distributing, or providing access to copyrighted works or other third-party intellectual property without authorization (pirated software, cracked applications, unauthorized media distribution). Customers must maintain valid licences for all installed software and content.

3.3 Malware, Hacking & Security Abuse :

• Deploying or distributing malware, ransomware, Trojans, rootkits, or tools whose primary purpose is to facilitate unauthorised access.
• Scanning, probing, or attempting to exploit vulnerabilities on systems you do not own or administer (including other SpectraCloud customers).
• Running services that facilitate botnets, C2 servers, or large-scale automated attacks.

3.4 Spam, Bulk Unsolicited Messaging & Abusive Emailing :

• Sending bulk unsolicited email, SMS or other communications without appropriate consent (spam), or running open relays and other mail infrastructure intended to be abused.
• Using SpectraCloud IP addresses in ways that cause email deliverability damage (high complaint rates, blacklisting).

3.5 Network Abuse & Resource Exhaustion :

• Conducting distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks or intentionally saturating network links, CPU, memory, or I/O in a way that impacts other customers.
• Running network scanners, packet-flooding, or similar disruptive tools against third parties.

3.6 Data Privacy Violations & Unauthorized Disclosure :

• Collecting, sharing or publishing personal data without required consent or lawful basis under Indian law (Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023).
• Exposing or publishing data obtained via illegal means (e.g., leaked databases) or maintaining public data that infringes privacy rights

3.7 Resale, Repackaging or Unauthorized Service Provisioning :

• Reselling or re-providing services purchased from SpectraCloud to third parties in violation of your contract, without prior written approval.

3.8 Circumvention and Evasion:

• Attempting to evade security controls or enforcement actions by obfuscating traffic, rapidly changing accounts, or repeatedly creating new accounts after suspension.

4. Reasonable Use & Abuse Thresholds

To protect platform stability and fairness, SpectraCloud will consider resource usage patterns. Examples of actions that may trigger review or mitigation include: excessive outbound email volumes, sustained high rates of connections or scans, repeated complaints from recipients, or repeated policy violations. We aim to work with customers before taking enforcement action where possible.

5. Reporting Abuse

If you suspect abuse, please report it promptly via our Report Abuse form (/report-abuse.php) or email abuse@spectracloud.com . Provide as much detail as possible: affected URL/IP, timestamps (UTC), sample headers, copies of messages, and any other relevant logs. We treat reports confidentially and will cooperate with lawful government or law-enforcement requests.

6. Investigation and Enforcement

6.1 When we receive a credible report or detect abuse, we may :

• Contact the customer and request immediate mitigation;
• Temporarily suspend the offending service or port (throttle traffic, block IPs);
• Preserve evidence (logs, disk images) for law enforcement;
• Permanently terminate services for severe or repeated violations.

6.2 : SpectraCloud reserves the right to take emergency action without prior notice when required to protect our network, customers, or to comply with legal obligations. We will notify affected customers and provide steps to remediate where feasible. Enforcement actions are taken under the Terms & Conditions and AUP and may include referral to authorities.

7. Customer Responsibilities & Indemnity

7.1 Customers must:

• Ensure all hosted software is properly licensed and patched;
• Implement secure configurations and follow reasonable security practices;
• Monitor their own systems and respond promptly to abuse notifications;
• Ensure third-party users or customers of their services also comply with this AUP.

7.2 Indemnity:

• Customers are responsible for claims, liabilities, damages and costs arising from violations of this AUP by themselves or their users, including legal or regulatory actions. You agree to indemnify and hold SpectraCloud harmless in such events.

8. Exceptions and Permitted Testing

6.1 When we receive a credible report or detect abuse, we may :

8.1: Security testing (vulnerability scans, penetration testing) is allowed only with explicit prior written consent from SpectraCloud and with agreed scope, dates, and contact points.

8.2 If you require temporary exceptions for legitimate research, coordinated vulnerability disclosure, or forensic work, contact our security team at security@spectracloud.com to obtain written authorization.

9. Logs, Retention & Cooperation with Authorities

6.1 When we receive a credible report or detect abuse, we may :

9.1 : SpectraCloud retains relevant logs and metadata as necessary for operations, security, billing, and to meet legal obligations.

9.2 We will comply with lawful requests from competent government or law-enforcement agencies and may provide logs, account details, or preserved content as required by law. This is part of our statutory obligations as an intermediary and to ensure public safety.

10. Consequences of Violation

Violations of this AUP may lead to:

• Enforcement notices, temporary restrictions, or service suspension;
• Permanent termination of accounts and deletion of associated data (after any applicable retention notice);
• Referral to law enforcement and disclosure of evidence;
• Financial liability for damages caused to SpectraCloud or third parties.
• We will endeavour to give notice and an opportunity to resolve issues where practicable, but will act immediately in urgent or high-risk situations.

11. Changes to this Policy

SpectraCloud may revise this AUP from time to time. We will publish changes on our website and update the “Last updated” date. Continued use of services after changes implies acceptance of the revised AUP. For clarity on historical versions, please contact legal@spectracloud.com.

12. Contact & Legal

For abuse reports, security contact, or to request permitted testing:
Email: abuse@spectracloud.com | security@spectracloud.com

For legal or formal notices:
Email: legal@spectracloud.com