Requirement
Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC – 2 : 2024) - Control - 2-1-4 – Acceptable use policy of information and technology assets must be implemented.
Understanding the Requirement
This control requires your organization to create, publish, and enforce an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that defines how employees, contractors, and approved third parties may use information and technology assets. The AUP should be formally approved, distributed through official communication channels, and require each user to acknowledge or approve it. It must also include documented monitoring approaches and clear disciplinary consequences for violations. Implementing this control as described in Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC – 2 : 2024) ensures expectations are clear and that misuse can be detected and acted upon.
Technical Implementation
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Create a concise, role-based AUP:
Draft a single AUP with short role-specific annexes (e.g., general staff, IT admins, contractors, remote workers). Include acceptable device use, data handling rules, permitted personal device usage, password and authentication expectations, use of cloud services, and rules for removable media. Keep the main document to 2–3 pages and attach 1-page role addenda to improve compliance.
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Build acknowledgement and onboarding processes:
Integrate the AUP acceptance into HR and IT onboarding workflows. Require electronic acknowledgement via the HR system or identity provider (IdP) before issuing accounts or network access. Record the acknowledgement timestamp and version to support audits and demonstrate that each employee has approved the policy.
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Communicate and train regularly:
Announce the policy through approved channels (email, intranet, staff meetings) and provide a short 15–30 minute training or video that highlights key do’s/don’ts. Schedule annual refreshers or when significant policy changes occur. Use brief quizzes or phishing simulations tied to the policy to reinforce behavior.
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Monitor for violations using lightweight technical controls:
Deploy practical monitoring: enable endpoint logging, use built-in EDR/AV alerts, configure web filtering and acceptable use categories on your firewall or UTM, and enable DLP rules for sensitive file uploads if available. For SMBs, cloud provider logs (Office 365/Azure, Google Workspace) and firewall logs often provide enough telemetry to identify suspicious uploads, mass downloads, or prohibited web usage.
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Define and enforce a proportionate disciplinary process:
Document a stepwise enforcement plan: informal warning, formal written warning, temporary suspension of access, and termination for severe or repeated violations. Ensure HR and legal approve the steps and that managers understand how to escalate incidents. Keep templates for warning notices and a log of actions taken tied to the monitoring evidence.
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Review and iterate quarterly:
Maintain an inventory of covered assets and review the AUP and monitoring effectiveness quarterly or after a security incident. Update policies to cover new cloud services, BYOD patterns, or regulatory requirements and re-communicate changes with mandatory re-acknowledgement where appropriate.
Example in a Small or Medium Business
BrightPrint, a 45-person graphic services firm, created a one-page Acceptable Use Policy with 1-page addenda for designers and contractors. During onboarding, HR sends the AUP link and requires employees to accept it through the company’s single sign-on portal before they receive email and file-share access. IT configures the office firewall to block risky categories (peer-to-peer, suspicious file-sharing) and turns on file activity logging in their cloud file share. When the monitoring system flags a designer uploading a large set of client files to an unknown personal cloud account, IT follows the documented incident checklist: they isolate the account, notify HR, and use stored acknowledgement records to confirm the employee understood the AUP. The employee receives a formal warning and completes a short retraining session; access to external sharing is limited until remediation is complete. Quarterly reviews of usage logs and a yearly AUP update ensure BrightPrint’s policy stays aligned with new tools and contractor patterns.
Summary
Implementing Control 2-1-4 combines a clear, role-based Acceptable Use Policy with practical technical monitoring and a documented enforcement process. For SMBs this means producing a concise AUP, embedding acknowledgement into onboarding, using built-in or low-cost monitoring tools to detect violations, and applying a fair, documented disciplinary workflow. Together these elements create a repeatable, auditable approach that clarifies expectations, reduces risky behavior, and provides the evidence and process needed to respond to misuse of information and technology assets.
