HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.b. Computer Use Policy CITY OF ROSEMOUNT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR ACTION
COMNIITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING DATE: JUNE 9, 1999
AGENDA ITEM: COMPUTER USE POLICY AGENDA���� � � � �
PREPARED BY: SUSAN M. WALSH
ASSISTANT TO ADMIl�TISTRATOR
ATTACHMENTS: COMPUTER USE POLICY APPROVED BY:
At the direction of the City Council, staff has drafted a computer use policy. With the expansion of our
computer network and the addition of Internet access, a policy addressing the use of the City's computer system
is needed.
The main focus of the policy is to inform employees that the City's computer system and all data received via
Internet or through e-mail messages become official records of the city and should not have content that could
be considered offensive, discriminatory or harassing.
COMPUTER USE POLICY—DRAFT
Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to protect the quality and integrity of the City's information systems
and to provide employees with standards of behavior that are professional and business like
when using the computer system.
Use of Equipment:
No personal use of the City's computer system is allowed during work hours. Personal use of
the City's computer system for any purpose which results in personal profit or pecuniary gain for
an employee, or for any purpose which requires storage capacity for any length of time, is not
allowed.
The City of Rosemount is committed to creating and maintaining a work place that is free of
harassment. Employees should use the same care when creating electronic communication, as
they would use with oral or written communications. Existing policies and practices governing
employee behavior,both within the workplace and when interacting with the general public,
apply to electronic communications.
The City requires responsible use of all City of Rosemount information systems. Failure to
comply with the policies herein, including failure to report known violations of the policies,will
be cause for discipline in accordance with the City's personnel policies. In addition to the city's
disciplinary procedures, violation of these policies could result in criminal prosecution if
warranted. Under U.S. Copyright Law, illegal reproduction of software can be subject to civil
damages of as much as $50,000 and criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
Internet Use:
Internet access to global electronic information resources on the World Wide Web is provided by
the City to assist employees in obtaining work-related data and technology. All Internet data that
is composed, transmitted or received via city computers is considered to be part of the official
records of the City. As such, the City reserves the right to monitor Internet traffic, and retrieve
and read any data composed, sent or received through its online connections and stored in its
computer systems.
Data that is composed, transmitted, accessed or received via the Internet must not contain content
that could be considered discriminatory, offensive, obscene,threatening,harassing, intimidating,
or disruptive to any employee or other person.
Internet users should take the necessary anti-virus precautions before downloading or copying
any file from the Internet.
E-Mail Use:
Employees are responsible for adhering to City standards when E-Mail is created, sent,
forwarded or saved. The E-mail system is to be used for matters directly related to the business
activities of the City and as a means to providing services.
Employees should be aware that any data stored may be subject to government data practices
statutes which make the text accessible to the public. Therefore,personal documents or
messages should not be sent or stored on the computer system. E-mail messages and attached
documents must not contain content that could be considered discriminatory, offensive, obscene,
threatening, harassing, intimidating, or disruptive to any employee or other person.
All E-mail should be deleted within 30 days of receipt. If retention is needed beyond that period,
the message or messages should be moved to a permanent storage area such as a self-directory or
disk.
Security:
Electronic information is a significant asset of the City of Rosemount. The goal of information
system security is to protect this information from unauthorized or inappropriate access or
modification.
Employees may not add additional security to their workstations or files. Employees who
believe they have security needs that go beyond current standards should contact the Finance
Director. Employees may not attempt to sign on to the system with any other user name, unless
the Finance Director assigns an alternate user name for special circumstances. :