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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-PAD-056 Information Technology COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 1 of 9 BACKGROUND The Corporation is committed to promoting appropriate and responsible use of technology in order to enable a productive working environment for all County of Newell information technology users and to improve customer service internally across departments and externally to the public. PURPOSE This policy has been established to provide guiding principles including but not limited to awareness, usage behaviour, compliance, consistency, keep current with technology trends and to govern the acceptable use of computers, systems, mobile communication devices, electronic communication, telephones, servers, applications, data, software tools, accounts, information assets and/or network resources, (collectively referred to as “Information and Communication Technology”) at the County. Users of the County’s Information and Communication Technology must comply with this policy and all other County policies and related Procedures to ensure appropriate and responsible use of Information and Communication Technology. SCOPE This policy applies to all persons or entities that have been granted access to and/or make use of the County’s Information and Communication Technology in any form excluding outside persons whose use of the technology is limited to that which is accessible to the general public through the County’s web site. This policy applies to Information and Communication Technology owned or leased by the County, and to authorized third-party users and or devices that connect to the County’s network or reside on County-owned facilities. DEFINITIONS: Account or Accounts: That combination of user ID and password that provides an individual with access to a computer system or computer network. Anonymous: Without name or way to distinguish one person or action from one another. COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 2 of 9 Block monitoring: A software or tool that interferes or ceases the functionality of the County’s Information Technology monitoring tools Electronic Communications: Any electronic method used to communicate, including but not limited to electronic mail, the Internet/World Wide Web, video recordings, facsimiles, pagers, telephones, cellular text messages, Blackberry Messenger, Blackberry PIN, etc. Information Assets: Including but not limited to data/software and/or electronic documents, electronic communication written and/or developed by users related to their work at the County. Information and Communication Technology: Computers, systems, mobile communication devices, telephones, servers, applications, data, software, technology tools, accounts and/or network resources Instant Messages (IM): Sending real time messages to another Internet user. Also referred to as IM. Intellectual Property: Something produced by the mind, of which the ownership or right to use may be owned by the organization in which a person is employed or engaged to work for and may be legally protected by a copyright, patent, trademark, etc. Monitoring: A standard practice by information technology resource administrators of reviewing transaction activity and other similar logs generated by the system/network, analyzing performance anomalies and traffic patterns, and/or running programs designed to identify the source of a specific problem, alarm or pattern potentially indicative of illegal or inappropriate use. Open Data: Certain data sets that are freely available to everyone, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control Physical Technology Assets: Including, but not limited to, computer systems, telephones, mobile devices, technology peripherals and accessories (e.g. printers, scanners, keyboard, speakers, etc.) Security Breach: External acts that bypasses or contravenes the County’s IT Technology Use Policy or Security Guidelines. COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 3 of 9 Social Media: Social media are works of user-created video, audio, text or multimedia that are published and shared in a social environment, such as a blog, podcast, forum, wiki or video hosting site. More broadly, social media refers to any online technology that lets people publish, converse and share content online`. Social Media Networks or Outlets: Social networking is the act of socializing in an online community. A typical social network such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace or Twitter allows you to create a profile, add friends, communicate with other members and add your own media. Spam: Indiscriminate mailing or forwarding of unsolicited e-mail to a larger group of users. User or Users: All and any persons or entities that have access to and/or make use of the County’s Information and Communication Technology in any form or plan except anonymous persons (e.g. people surfing the County’s public website PROVISIONS: 1.General Acceptable Technology Use a.Every user needs to exercise good judgment regarding the appropriate use of the County’s Information and Communication Technology in accordance with legislation, the County’s by-laws, corporate policies or procedures. b.The utilization of the County’s Information and Communication Technology shall be reserved for conducting County business and shall not be used for any unlawful or prohibited purposes. c.For security, compliance, and maintenance purposes, authorized staff may monitor and audit equipment, systems, and electronic communication. Unauthorized software, hardware or devices that may interfere with the Corporate Information and Communication Technology or deemed malicious, may be disabled, disconnected and/or confiscated without notice. d.Information and Communication Technology are made available to County users for business purposes. Although occasional personal use might occur, usage should not impact work productivity or interfere with work performance. Users are encouraged to ask their direct supervisor or COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 4 of 9 Department Staff if they have any questions regarding the appropriate use of the Information and Communication Technology. e.Exceptions under this policy may apply for a valid County based business need, with proper approval, from management and the Director of Information and Technology. 2.Access to Technology Users accessing the County’s Information and Communication Technology must adhere to the following provisions: a.To ensure the security of accounts under their control, keep their password secured at all times, and shall not: i.Share account or password information with anyone, including other employees, third-party, family, or friends; and/or ii.Provide access to another individual, either deliberately or through a failure to secure such access. b.Ensure that County-owned information assets remain within the control of the County at all times. The storage of County-owned information on unauthorized devices is prohibited. c.Be responsible for the security and appropriate use of County Information and Communication Technology under their control and shall not be used for any of the following: i.Circumventing security, user’s log-in credentials (e.g. User ID and Password) or causing a security breach; ii.Accessing Information and Communication Technology and/or accounts without proper authorization; iii.Downloading or introducing inappropriate content or software with intentions to probe, scan, cause harm or loss or damage to the County’s Information and Communication Technology; COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 5 of 9 iv.Causing a disruption of service to the County’s Information and Communication Technology, by performing non-business activities including but not limited to, gaming, audio/video downloading or play back, storing non County data, moving or disconnecting shared devices under the control of the County; and v.Violating copyright law, and /or contractual obligations including, but not limited to, illegally duplicating or transmitting copyrighted or restricted software and content such as data, pictures, music, video, etc. In addition, users must not engage in any other activity not explicitly stated herein but reasonably deemed to be unlawful or prohibited. 3.Protection of Physical Technology Assets Users are responsible: a.For the physical technology assets under their control including, but not limited to, computer systems, telephones, mobile devices, technology peripherals and accessories (e.g. printers, scanners, keyboard/mouse, speakers, software, etc.). b.To secure and ensure the protection of assigned County Physical Technology Assets; and c.To promptly report to the IT-Service Desk any theft of, or damage to, the assigned Physical Technology Assets. 4.Electronic Communication a.Users shall ensure the appropriate use of electronic communication resources under their control. b.Users are encouraged to keep their “contacts” information current to avoid the distribution of their messages to an un-intended audience. Marking messages confidential, private or important is recommended. c.The following electronic communication use is strictly prohibited: COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 6 of 9 i.Inappropriate use of electronic communications, including, but not limited to, supporting illegal activities, and procuring or transmitting material that violates legislation (e.g. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act FOIP) and/or the County’s by-laws, policies or procedures (e.g. Workplace Harassment Prevention) or the safeguarding of confidential or proprietary information; ii.Sending Spam via e-mail, text messages, instant messages, voicemail, or other forms of electronic communication; and/or iii.Forging, misrepresenting, or obscuring user identity on any electronic communication to mislead the recipient. 5.Social Media a.Use of Social Media shall be primarily for County-related business and in accordance with the County’s Policy & procedures for the use of Social Media for Business Purposes. Although occasional personal use might occur, usage should not impact work productivity or interfere with work performance. Users are reminded to ask their direct supervisor if they have any questions about appropriate uses of Social Media. b.In general, users must use good judgment and exercise common sense when using Social Media Networks or Outlets and adhere to the County’s relevant policies or provisions contained in contractual or service agreements. c.Personal Use of Social Media: Users as citizens have the right to voice their opinion, on their own time and risk; however, County employees who make personal use of Social Media shall not: i.Use their County’s e-mail account or County’s contact information on their Personal Social Media Outlets; ii.Attempt to represent the County or use confidential County information; iii.Communicate or engage in any conversations that relate to their work at the County in a negative or destructive manner; COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 7 of 9 iv.Represent personal opinions as those of the County (or department, division…etc.) or criticize internal corporate policies, procedures of the County; and/or v.Launch personal attacks or make defamatory or offensive (racist, sexist, lewd…etc.) statements or making partisan or political comments related to the County. 6.Electronic Data and Intellectual Property a.All Information Assets shall remain the intellectual property of the County and should be used in accordance with corporate policies, SOPs, relevant licenses, contractual terms and conditions. b.Users shall take all reasonable precautions to protect the information assets of the County. Information Assets that are generally made available to the public, service providers or third-party working with, or on behalf of, the County must be appropriately protected either through non-disclosure, contractual agreement, or appropriate disclaimer indemnifying the County. c.Distribution of these information assets are subject to legislation, County by- laws, policies, SOPs and/or provisions outlined in contractual agreements. d.Information Assets authorized for release to the public are subject to its terms and conditions of use and must also meet FOIP standards. 7.Applications and Systems Users who have advanced system and application privileges to administer, configure, support or have the ability to cause any changes to County Applications, Data or Systems must apply these privileges in an appropriate manner and act in the County’s best interest. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary measures being taken in accordance with the progressive disciplinary process outlined in the County of Newell Personnel Policy. COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 8 of 9 8.Electronic Records Management All electronic records are to be managed and maintained in accordance with the County’s Records Management Policy and Records Retention & Disposition Bylaw, as amended. 9.Acquisition of Information and Communication Technology a.The acquisition of Information and Communication Technology shall be in accordance with the County’s Purchasing By-law, Purchasing Card Policy, and the provisions outlined in relevant master/contractual agreements, purchase orders and/or statements of work. b.Users are encouraged to review the Purchasing and Deployment Protocols for IT Hardware and Software or contact the IT-Service Desk for details on Information and Communication Technology acquisitions. c.Request for the acquisition of Information and Communication Technology equipment or applications can be submitted through the budgeting process or by submitting a service request to the IT-Service Desk. 10.Enforcement and Monitoring Controls a.The County reserves the right to monitor access and usage activity of the County’s Information and Communication Technology to ensure use in accordance with this policy. b.The County reserves the right to revoke or block access and/or usage of any Information and Communication Technology if deemed necessary, with or without notice. 11.Actions for Non Compliance a.Users in violation of this Policy will be reported to the appropriate level of management and/or the Director of Information and Technology and may be subject to disciplinary actions up to, and including, termination of employment or contract in accordance with the County’s Personnel Policy or per provisions outlined in relevant contractual or service agreements. COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2014-PAD-056 TITLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED: SUPERCEDES NO: 2010-PAD-056 May 22, 2014 (C-184/14) TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 9 of 9 b.Violators for unlawful purposes may be subject to criminal prosecution, civil liability or both. ADMINISTRATION AND APPLICATION OF THE COUNTY OF NEWELL IT POLICY: In an effort to ensure that all individuals who may be granted authorized access to the County’s IT Network are aware of their personal responsibilities that relate to the security and use of the Network and County issued devices (including phones and tablets) , the County of Newell will require all users to review this policy which outlines the responsibilities that the users have in relation to the effective operation of the County of Newell Network and sign off on the policy on an annual basis. The County of Newell may update the policy from time to time and if it is determined that there is a need for the employee to sign off on the update before the next regularly scheduled annual review is conducted, the IT Dept. shall review the nature of the update with the authorized user and ensure that a current copy of the end user agreement has been executed by the user and a copy has been retained in the County’s Corporate Records. Users’ Sign Off: 1.Users are required to acknowledge and sign off on this policy on an annual basis. 2.Contractors and affiliated entities will be required to review and submit to this policy as a condition of their service contract, or affiliation agreement. Employee Signature Date Witness Signature Date