Abuse Policy

VineHost is dedicated to maintaining a safe, fair, and reliable hosting environment for our customers. This policy outlines how we handle and resolve reports of abuse, including all forms of malicious or unauthorised activity involving our services, to ensure network integrity, data security, and compliance with our Terms of Service.

Types of Abuse
VineHost categorises abuse into various types to streamline reporting and response processes. Each type is investigated according to the severity of the offense, and appropriate actions are taken as follows:

1. Low, Medium, and High Volume Attacks:

   • Low Volume Attack: Attempts to compromise or disrupt services on a smaller scale (e.g., single user or system targeted). May involve minor brute force or bot traffic.
   • Medium Volume Attack: Coordinated efforts to interfere with multiple accounts or servers, including mid-level botnet attacks.
   • High Volume Attack: Large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) or similarly severe attacks that affect numerous systems or users. These are addressed with the highest urgency and may involve collaboration with law enforcement or cybersecurity organizations.
   • Procedures: For all attack types, our abuse team reviews logs and system metrics to confirm origin and scale. Depending on severity, actions include temporary account suspension, IP blacklisting, and notification to account holders. Repeated or severe offenses lead to immediate termination.

2. Harmful or Inappropriate Content:

   • Harmful Content: Includes malicious software, viruses, or other harmful elements distributed via VineHost services.
   • Inappropriate Content: Includes content violating local laws or our Terms of Service (e.g., illegal substances, child exploitation material).
   • Procedures: Content flagged as harmful or inappropriate will be removed immediately, and the account may be suspended or terminated. In cases of illegal content, we report the incident to law enforcement agencies.

3. Copyright Infringement:

   • Definition: Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material hosted on our servers, including unlicensed media or text.
   • Procedures: We follow the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and related UK copyright laws. Upon receiving valid infringement notices, we notify the account holder to remove infringing material. Failure to comply within the given timeframe may result in suspension or takedown of the content.

4. Spam, Scam, and Phishing:

   • Spam: Unsolicited bulk emails, messages, or ads violating spam regulations.
   • Scam and Phishing: Fraudulent activities aiming to steal personal information or funds.
   • Procedures: Complaints require full email headers to track the origin. For compromised accounts, we issue a warning, but repeated offenses may result in account suspension or termination. Severe phishing or fraud cases lead to immediate suspension and may be reported to regulatory bodies.

5. WHOIS Data Inaccuracy:

   • Definition: Inaccurate or incomplete WHOIS information that violates ICANN policies.
   • Procedures: Upon receiving a report, we notify the domain registrant, requesting correction within 7 days. If the issue is not resolved, the domain may be suspended for non-compliance.

6. Other Illegal Activity:

   • Includes activities such as 419 scams, malware distribution, or any act violating UK or international law.
   • Procedures: For confirmed cases of deliberate abuse, we immediately suspend the domain or account and report the incident to relevant authorities if necessary.

Reporting Abuse
To report abuse, please use our Abuse Report Form or contact us at [email protected]. Please ensure all relevant details (e.g., domain name, IP address, and description of the incident) are included for a faster resolution. Each report is assigned a unique internal ticket ID to monitor and track the investigation.

Investigation and Action
Each abuse report is evaluated by our team, who may contact the account holder to resolve the issue or gather additional information. We assess whether the account was compromised or if deliberate abuse occurred and implement measures based on the severity:

• Warnings: For first-time violations or compromised accounts, warnings are issued.
• Suspensions and Terminations: For repeated or intentional abuse, accounts may be temporarily or permanently suspended.
• Notifications and Privacy: We notify customers of actions taken against their accounts. However, we reserve the right to limit disclosures to protect customer privacy and comply with legal standards.