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COUNTY OF INYO USE OF COMPUTING, NETWORKING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES

General

This policy applies to the use of all computers, software, peripheral devise, network components, network connections, network communications and telephones. It is the responsibility of all users operating in the Inyo County computing and communication environment to comply with this policy regardless of their status as employees, contractors, volunteers or visitors.

Purpose

To ensure the integrity and appropriate use of all hardware and software applications in the County’s computer/communication environment and to further assure the appropriate, cost effective and efficient use of all the components.

Guiding Principle
Access to the Inyo County computer/communication environment is provided to assist users in performing their legitimate work tasks in furtherance of Inyo County business and service.

1. County supplied e-mail and Internet access and associated system resources are the property of the County of Inyo. E-mail and Internet access is subject to the same restrictions on use, and the assigned same review process, as is any other County-furnished resource provided for the completion of tasks.

2. Computers and all other electronic forms of communication are the property of the County of Inyo. Users do not have a personal privacy right to any matters received, created, sent over, or stored in the County of Inyo’s communication systems and/or computer systems.

3. Users are notified that the County reserves the right to implement security measures intended to protect the physical and electronic integrity of the County of Inyo computing, networking and telecommunications resources.

4. Users are hereby notified that the County reserves the right to store messages indefinitely. Users should be aware that even if they have deleted a message it may not have been deleted from County archives.

5. Users are notified that the County has the capability and reserves the right to access, monitor, review, and copy or disclose any user messages, Internet usage, computer usage and/or telecommunication usage. Security measures employed by users such as individual passwords or message deletion do not affect the County’s ability or right to access, monitor, review, copy, or disclose such messages and/or Internet usage.

6. E-mail usage, Internet usage, computer usage and/or telecommunication usage must be able to withstand public scrutiny. Users must comply with all applicable legislation, regulations, policies and standards. This includes complying with copyright and license provisions with respect to both computer programs and data. E-Mail shall be used only to send courteous, professional, and businesslike communications.

7. Users should assume that messages and Internet access from County-owned/supplied/operated computers is monitored by a third-party service in the following categories: Adult content, nudity, sex, gambling, illegal/questionable, racism/hate, tastelessness, violence, streaming video and streaming music/radio. If a User wants to report a particular web page that they believe is covered by one of these categories, they can call the Help Desk to have the page blocked. If a User is being blocked from a site that they need access to in order to do their job, the department director can request access to the site from Information Services. If a User is the recipient of an e-mail in one of these categories, the User is encouraged to report the occurrence to the Personnel Department.

8. Occasional personal use of E-mail, Internet and/or telecommunications is acceptable as long as it is not excessive or inappropriate, does not occur during work time, does not violate any of the prohibitions of this policy, and does not result in expenses to the County of Inyo. Management reserves the right to determine whether any use is inappropriate, excessive, and/or violates this policy.

9. Users may not:

1. Download or copy software without approval from the IS Department. Software that is approved for downloading must be registered to the County of Inyo.
   
2. Knowingly violate the laws and/or regulations of the United State or any other nation, or the laws and/or regulations of any state, county, city, province, or local jurisdiction, or policies of the County in any material way including those that deal with intellectual property protection, privacy, misuse of County resources, sexual harassment, data security, and confidentiality; or
   
3. Use e-mail, Internet, computers or telecommunications to access gambling, distribute hoaxes, chain letters, or advertisements; and/or send rude, obscene, racist, sexist, sexual or harassing messages; and/or for commercial solicitation or for conducting or pursuing their own business interests or those of another organization; orL
   
4. Listen to Internet radio, download videos or view streaming video not related to County work; or
   
5. Knowingly or maliciously propagate a computer virus, worm, Trojan horse, trap-door, or back-door program code or knowingly disable or overload any computer system, network, or circumvent any system intended to protect the privacy or security of another User or data; or
   
6. Misrepresent User’s true identity when communicating, corresponding or participating in interactive activities.

10. Users must not send, forward and/or reply to distribution lists not related to County work. In addition, users must consider the impact on the network when creating and using work-related distribution lists.

11. Computing and communications usage may not be that such use causes the County to incur a fee for which there has not been prior approval from the appropriate Department Head.

12. All E-mail messages are considered County records and management of e-mail must comply with existing legislation, regulations, policies, and standards (e.g. the California Public Records Act). Users should be aware that any electronic media communication may be subject to disclosure under California law.

13. Alleged inappropriate use of computer/communication resources will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may, for employees, lead to the appropriate level of disciplinary action. For non-employees, authority to utilize the Inyo County equipment and systems will be revoked.

Responsibilities

• Users are responsible for ensuring that their use of computer/communication technology is appropriate and consistent with this policy.

• Inyo County Department Heads/Directors/Managers are responsible for ensuring that all users have received and read this policy. (A subsequent claim by an user that they were unaware of this policy shall not in any way limit the County’s ability to enforce this policy.)

• Department Heads/Directors/Managers are responsible for taking appropriate action when this policy is violated.

• The Manager of Information Services is responsible for monitoring network usage in terms of traffic/load and will provide message/usage content as requested by authorized personnel.

Guidelines to usage

• When determining whether particular usage is appropriate, ask the question: “If I were doing this same activity in some other way (e.g. telephone, library, in person, in writing), would this activity be considered appropriate?”

• Users should carefully consider their intended audience, tone, formality, and format for all messages. (E-mail is not confidential and message content will be monitored.)

• Misinterpretation of e-mail and electronic messages may occur. Lacking tone and body language, a message meant as a casual or humorous may be taken otherwise.

• If a message entices an emotional reaction, the recipient should carefully consider an appropriate professional response, or if a response is even necessary, and react accordingly.

• Any message received which is intended for another person should be returned to the sender. All copies of the misdirected message should be deleted after it has been returned to the sender. An incorrectly addressed message should only be forwarded to the intended recipient if the identity of that recipient is known and certain.

• The sending of large messages (for example, attachments greater than 2 megabytes) to distribution lists should be avoided because of the impact to the network.

• If a message is sent to a distribution list, recipients should be careful to reply appropriately (i.e. perhaps only to the originator rather than to all on the distribution list).

• The creation of single topic messages should be done whenever possible. This will facilitate filing, retrieval and forwarding of messages.