What is an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)?

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) has diverse meanings depending on its context of usage. In this context, it is defined as a guide containing some set of rules that employees must obey while discharging their duties. It is regarded as a document that outlines the behaviors and code on conducts that an organization or an employer accepts. AUP contains policies that guide employees in cases of information technologies in the workplace. It also contain guidelines on how a website or company's technology is meant to be used. These guidelines protect against computer or technology misuse.

What Goes Into an Acceptable Use Policy

Whether small or large, organizations make use of a set of technologies to make their services accessible by customers. Employees perform a wide range of tasks as assigned to them by the employee and to do this effectively, policies and guidelines must be put in place especially in the usage of computers. There are a number of hazards and threats that are attributed to the misuse of technologies or computers in an organization. Employees often engage in search of irrelevant items, spam messages and emails with bad contents, watching of pornographies among others. Upon the identification of the threats of internet misuse and abuse, the introduction of AUP has helped organizations manage these threats to a large extent. AUP erase the concept of confidentiality in employee's usage of internet, computers and technologies in their workplace and also prohibit unrelated activities on with organizations internet or computer. Being a remedy for IT abuses and misuse in workplace, there are certain templates or guidelines that AUP should include, they are;

• Prohibition of download and dissemination of uncouth items such as pornography and materials that are offensive and discriminatory.
• AUP should clearly indicate what the computer systems in an organization should be used for.
• It should give a template for emails and messages that are permitted to be sent on the company's IT system.
• If the company permits personal use of computer, such should not interfere with the work of the employees.
• Prohibition of searching, copying and sending confidential or private materials that are not related to the company.
• Advice for employees on inappropriate usage of IT systems and penalties for such.

Furthermore, a companys AUP should not just include what a company expects of its employees but should also contain legal sanctions and consequences that erring employees would face.