An acceptable usage policy template covering email, social media, personal use, software, equipment security, own equipment and disposal.

Effective Policy Templates

This policy template is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised and edited. The document uses pre-defined style formatting throughout, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
The following document labelling is included in the footer:

• Policy number and title
• Information-classification
• Version
• Page number / total pages

alphaZ documents - beautifully designed, tried and tested policy templates. No junk, jargon or unnecessary content. Simple and usable policy templates developed over 25 years through practical use in the real world.

Further Reading

Further guidance on using IT at work:

• Phishing, Email and Social Engineering
• Information Security Awareness and Training
• Physical Security for Information
• Information Security knowledge base

Logo Update Service *

Download this policy template with your company name and logo already added!
Document Preparation available with all document toolkits.

How to Download

To get access to this file please click on Add to Cart to purchase for immediate download. If you have an alphaZ Subscription just click on Download Files to view all the files available to download. This policy is also included in the ISO 27001 Toolkit and every alphaZ ISO toolkit that covers ISO 27001, so the toolkit route gives you this file plus everything else you need in one download.

Need Help Implementing?

If you'd like this policy prepared for your organisation along with the rest of your company policies, or help with your information security risk assessment and treatment plan, our remote support services provide direct expert input from our team, by the day, by project, or on an ongoing basis.

Acceptable Usage Policy Template

An acceptable usage policy template requiring everyone with access to IT equipment to use it sensibly, professionally, lawfully and with respect for the company and interested parties.

The policy has Approved By and Date Approved fields and carries a Public information classification, so it can be shared with workers, clients and other interested parties.

What the Acceptable Usage Policy Covers

• Communication facilities - business use with limited, responsible personal use
• Messages - emails and online messages written with the same care as a letter, and Bcc used where recipients' addresses should not be shared
• Social media - not during working hours, and awareness of the impact use can have on the company
• Personal email use - not interfering with work, kept to a minimum, no cost or harm to the company, and lawful
• Other business - company facilities not used to run another business without permission
• Software - no installation without approval, and updates installed when requested
• Physical security - issued equipment kept secure from unauthorised access
• Own equipment - checked and approved before accessing company files or the network
• Disposal - personal devices used for company data checked and securely processed before disposal

Checked Against Cyber Essentials

The IT policies in the range have been checked against the Cyber Essentials requirements, so their rules on passwords, devices, access and updates do not contradict what a Cyber Essentials assessment asks for.

Using the Policy

Add your company name and logo, check each commitment matches what your organisation does and edit any that do not, then approve and date the policy and share it with workers and anyone else who needs to see it.

Who Needs an Acceptable Usage Policy?

Any organisation providing IT equipment, email or internet access to its workers, and organisations working to ISO 27001, where acceptable use of information and assets is one of the Annex A controls.

Included in the ISO 27001 Toolkit

This policy is part of the ISO 27001 Toolkit and every alphaZ ISO toolkit that covers ISO 27001.

Works with the Information Security Policy Procedure

The PP-8-100 Information Security Policy Procedure carries the detailed information security policies behind this summary.

Document Control

The footer carries the policy number and title, information classification, version and page numbers, and the approval fields record who approved the policy and when, so it can be controlled with the rest of your management system documents and listed on a document register such as the F-IMS20 Document Register.

Related Policies

• P-22 Use of Communications Technology Policy - use of communications technology
• P-33 Internet and Email Policy - internet and email
• P-83 Social Media Policy - social media