ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
Last Modified: September 2022
A. General
Chicago InterFlash Networking, Inc. (hereinafter "CIFNet") provide a variety of information, Internet, network-, and technology-related services ("Services"). CIFNet has formulated this Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") in order to ensure the appropriate use of the
Services and the CIFNet network, systems, and facilities ("Infrastructure") by our customers, our customers' customers or end-users, and any other parties who use or access the Services or the Infrastructure (collectively, "Customers"). All Customers must comply
with this AUP. CIFNet reserves the right to change this AUP from time to time and will notify Customers by posting a revised copy of the AUP on the CIFNet Web site at http://www.cifnet.com/. By using or accessing the CIFNet Services or Infrastructure, Customers
agree to be bound by the terms of this AUP.
B. Acceptable Use
Customers shall not use the CIFNet Services or Infrastructure to transmit, distribute, or store material: (a) in violation of any applicable law, regulation, or judicial order; (b) that violates the terms of this AUP, the terms of any applicable agreement with
CIFNet, or any other CIFNet policy applicable through the Agreement; (c) that interferes with or adversely affects the Services or Infrastructure or use of the Services or Infrastructure by other CIFNet customers; or (d) that may expose CIFNet to criminal or
civil liability. Customers shall cooperate with CIFNet in investigating and correcting any apparent breach of this AUP. Customers shall be solely responsible for any material that they maintain, transmit, download, view, post, distribute, or otherwise access or
make available using the Services or Infrastructure. In particular, but without limiting the more general prohibitions in this AUP, Customers shall not use the Services or Infrastructure, or assist anyone else to:
1. distribute, receive communications, or execute any action directed by any type of injurious code, including but not limited to: (1) viruses, worms, Trojan horses, (2) key loggers, (3) network or/and password sniffers, (4) malware, (5) botnets, (6) Denial of
Service attacks, (7) flood or mail bombs, (8) logic bombs, or (9) other actions which CIFNet reserves the sole right to determine to be malicious in intent. Furthermore, shall not use the Services or Infrastructure to transmit, distribute or store information or
material that, as reasonably determined by CIFNet, is (a) inappropriate, obscene (including child pornography), defamatory, threatening, abusive, advocating violence, or which violates a law, regulation, or public policy; (b) harmful to or interferes with
CIFNet's provision of Services, the Infrastructure, or any third party's networks, equipment, applications, services, or Web sites; (c) would infringe, dilute, misappropriate, or otherwise violate any privacy, intellectual property, publicity or other personal
rights including, without limitation, copyrights, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets, or other proprietary information (including unauthorized use of domain names); (d) fraudulent or contains false, deceptive, or misleading statements, claims, or
representations (such as "phishing"); or (e) violates generally accepted standards of Internet usage;
2. Attempt to disrupt, degrade, impair, or violate the integrity or security of the Services or Infrastructure or the computers, services, accounts, or networks of any other party (e.g., "hacking," "Denial of Service" attacks), including any activity that
typically precedes attempts to breach security such as scanning, probing, or other testing or vulnerability assessment activity, or engaging in or permitting any network or hosting activity that results in the blacklisting or other blockage of CIFNet IP
space;
3. Transmit unsolicited bulk e-mail messages ("Spam"); having third parties send out Spam on any Customer's behalf; receiving replies from unsolicited e-mails (commonly referred to as "drop-box" accounts) or configuring any e-mail server in such a way that
it will accept third party e-mails for forwarding (e.g., "open mail relay"). Bulk e-mail may only be sent to recipients who have expressly requested receipt of such e-mail messages via a "verified opt-in" process, which must be adhered to in its entirety for any
bulk e-mail to be considered "solicited" by CIFNet. Customers that send bulk e-mail must maintain complete and accurate records of all e-mail subscription requests (verified opt-ins), specifically including the e-mail and associated headers sent by every
subscriber, and to immediately provide CIFNet with such records upon request of CIFNet. If a site has roaming Customers who wish to use a common mail server, the mail server must be configured to require user identification and authorization. Customers are also
prohibited from using the service of another provider to send Spam in order to promote a site hosted on or connected to the Services or Infrastructure, and Customers shall not use the Services or Infrastructure in order to (a) send e-mail messages that are
excessive and/or intended to harass or annoy others, (b) continue to send e-mail messages to a recipient that has indicated that he/she does not wish to receive them, (c) send e-mail with forged TCP/IP packet header information, or (d) send malicious e-mails;
4. Violate any charters, policies, rules or agreements promulgated by any search engines, subscription Web services or Web pages, social networks, chat areas, USENET, or other services accessed via the Services or Infrastructure;
5. Violate the applicable Acceptable Use Policies of other ISPs when data, content, or other communications are carried across the networks of such ISPs;
6. Any conduct that is likely to result in retaliation against CIFNet, or its employees, officers or other agents, including engaging in behavior that results in any server, device or any part of the CIFNet Infrastructure being the target of a Denial of
Service attack;
7. Engage in, attempt to engage in or conspire with others or solicit others to engage in domain name hijacking (e.g. cybersquatting).
8. Customer shall use only those IP addresses that are assigned to them by CIFNet, and shall not use any IP addresses outside of their assigned range.
9. Shared Hosting Customers, VPS, VM and Cloud Customers. Customer shall not use any mechanism to exceed the amount of Computing Resources assigned to them through the Services, or to conceal such activities. Customer shall not misuse system resources, such
as, by employing programs that consume excessive Network Capacity, CPU cycles, or disk IO, including but not limited to (1) cryptocurrency mining, (2) password cracking software.
10. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Service -- CIFNet does not support the hosting of IRC servers or bots.
11. Denial Of Service Attacks -- CIFNet reserves the right to null-route any IP address/subnet that is under a DoS or DDoS attack that is deemed disruptive to neighboring customers.
12. If we believe that a Customer intentionally created a security breach, or if we believe that Customer is engaged in transmitting unsolicited bulk e-mail messages ("spamming") or any other action as described in the above provision 1 of this AUP, the cost
to resolve any damage to the Customer's server, neighboring customers or CIFNet's Infrastructure will be charged directly to the Customer. The labor used to resolve such damage is categorized as emergency security breach recovery and is currently charged at $150
per hour. Furthermore, CIFNet, at CIFNet's sole discretion, may charge Customer and Customer shall pay up to $1,000 per each valid Unsolicited Bulk Email or Unsolicited Commercial Email ("UBE/UCE") complaint of which CIFNet is notified.
C. CIFNet's Rights and Remedies
CIFNet has no responsibility for any material or information created, stored, maintained, transmitted, or accessible on or through the Services or Infrastructure and is not obligated to monitor or exercise any editorial control over such material. In the event
that CIFNet becomes aware that any such material may violate this AUP and/or expose CIFNet to civil or criminal liability, CIFNet reserves the right to investigate such material, block access to such material, and suspend or terminate any Services without
liability. CIFNet further reserves the right to cooperate with legal authorities and third parties in investigating any alleged violations of this AUP, including disclosing the identity of any Customer that CIFNet believes is responsible for such violation.
CIFNet also reserves the right to implement technical mechanisms to prevent AUP violations. Nothing in this AUP shall limit in any way CIFNet's rights and remedies at law or in equity that may otherwise be available.