OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE POLICY AND PROGRAMS
INTERNET AND NETWORK SERVICES ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

THE LANGUAGE USED IN THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT CREATE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND THE AGENCY. THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT CREATE ANY CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS OR ENTITLEMENTS. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REVISE THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT, IN WHOLE OR IN PART. NO PROMISES OR ASSURANCES, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, WHICH ARE CONTRARY TO OR INCONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS OF THIS PARAGRAPH CREATE ANY CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT.

I. Policy Statement

Access to computer systems and networks owned or operated by the Governor’s Office imposes certain responsibilities and obligations on Governor’s Office employees (hereinafter termed "users") and is subject to state government policies and local, state and federal laws. Acceptable use always is ethical and reflects honesty. It demonstrates respect for intellectual property, ownership of information, system security mechanisms, and the individual's rights to freedom from intimidation, harassment, and unwarranted annoyance. Users may be subject to limitations on their use of the networks as determined by the appropriate supervising authority.

II. Monitoring of Internet Usage

Use of network services provided by the Governor’s Office may be subject to monitoring for security and/or network management reasons. The Governor’s Office has software and systems in place that monitor and record all Internet usage. Its security systems are capable of recording each World Wide Web site visit, each chat, newsgroup or electronic mail message, and each file transfer into and out of our internal networks, and the agency reserves the right to do so at any time. No employee should have any expectation of privacy as to his Internet or electronic mail usage. Employees are therefore advised of this potential monitoring and agree to this practice.

III. Copyright and Other Violations

1. Users shall not make or use illegal copies of copyrighted software or other mediums, store such copies on state systems, or transmit them over state networks.
   
   Users who violate any copyright declarations are acting outside the course and scope of their employment or other authority and the Governor’s Office is relieved of any legal responsibility thereof. Users will be personally responsible and liable for such infringing activities.
   
   
2. By participating in the use of networks and systems provided by the State, users agree to be subject to and abide by this policy for their use. Willful violation of the principles and provisions of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

IV. Specific Provisions

Users shall:

1. Use the network only for official state business and to access files and data as authorized by management.
   
   
2. B. Refrain from monopolizing systems, overloading networks with excessive data or wasting computer time, connect time, disk space, printer paper, manuals or other resources.
   
   
3. Protect their USERID and system from unauthorized use.
   
   
4. Assume responsibility for any charges associated with billable services unless appropriate authorization has been obtained.

Users shall not:

1. Use the networks for illegal or unlawful, or immoral purposes or to support or assist such purposes. Examples of this would be the transmission of violent, threatening, defrauding, obscene or otherwise illegal or unlawful materials. The display of any kind of sexually explicit image or document on any computer system is a violation of the Governor’s Office sexual harassment policy. In addition, sexually explicit material may not be archived, stored, distributed, edited, or recorded using our networks or computing resources.
   
   If an employee finds himself connected incidentally to a site that contains sexually offensive material, he must disconnect from the site immediately, regardless of whether that site had been previously deemed acceptable by any screening or rating program.
   
   
2. Use mail or messaging services to harass, intimidate or otherwise annoy another person.
   
   
3. Use the networks for private, recreational, non-public purposes including the conduct of personal commercial transactions. The following specific activities are expressly prohibited: online gambling, stocks, bonds, and security trading and online auction participation. These examples are not meant to constitute an exhaustive list.
   
   
4. Use the networks for commercial or partisan political purposes.
   
   
5. Use the networks or other state equipment for personal gain such as selling access to a USERID or by performing work for profit with state resources in a manner not authorized by the Governor’s Office.
   
   
6. Use the network to disrupt network users, services or equipment. Disruptions include, but are not limited to, distribution of unsolicited advertising, propagation of computer "worms" and viruses, and sustained high volume network traffic, which substantially hinders others in their use of the network.
   
   
7. Attempt to circumvent or subvert system or network security measures.
   
   
8. Intercept network traffic for any purpose unless engaged in authorized network administrative duties.

V. Non-working Time Limited Personal Use

Governor’s Office computer systems and networks are to be used only for conducting official state business. It is recognized that employees may occasionally use these computer systems and networks for limited incidental personal use during non-working time. Such limited personal use may be acceptable so long as all other usage policies are followed and the use does not interfere with an employee’s work or negatively impact the computer system or network and does not result in additional public expense. These systems are not available or accessible for public speech or any first amendment expressive activity or for use by the public; further, the systems are expressly declared not to be a public forum.

Revised 7/04