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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008_04 Computer Use SOP 202412132008.04 Computer Use Standard Operating Procedure Implemented: September 2017 Revised: SEP 2018, DEC 2024 Next Review: December 2027 This procedure is for internal use only and does not enlarge an employee’s civil liability in any way. The procedure should not be construed as creating a higher duty of care, in an evidentiary sense, with respect to third party civil claims against employees. A violation of this procedure, if proven, can only form the basis of a complaint by this department for non-judicial administrative action in accordance with the laws governing employee discipline. Related Policies: Chief’s Memo 2017-007, Department of Information Technology Employee Policies, 2017-031, County Wide Email Account. Applicable HI Statutes: I. PURPOSE The purpose of these policy is to establish guidelines to ensure the effective, efficient and secure operation of the County of Hawai‘i computer system. II. APPLICABILITY This policy applies to all Hawai‘i Fire Department (HFD) personnel. III. DEFINITIONS Computer Access Request Form (CARF) – Form submitted for individual employees to have access to the Internet, E-mail, and other systems through the County’s networks. Department of Information Technology (DIT) - Responsible for overseeing the County of Hawai‘i computer system operations, including but not limited to, hardware and software installation and maintenance, password security, etc. Electronic Mail (E-Mail) System – Provides an electronic means of communication to individuals or groups within the department and, externally, to and from parties with Internet mail addresses. Intranet – County of Hawai‘i internal computer system and network. IV. POLICY Department business. The computer system, which consist of computers, laptops, notebooks, tablets, electronic devices, hardware, intranet, internet, monitors, software, printers, file servers, and all files including documents, mail messages, or any materials produced using county resources is the sole property of the County of Hawai’i. Use of the system for outside business ventures, commercial solicitation, or illegal purposes are prohibited. V. PROCEDURES A. Access: 1. The Fire Chief or his designee may request via the Department of Information Technology (DIT) Computer Access Request Form (CARF) for individual employees to have access to the internet, E-mail, and other systems through the County’s networks, certifying the employee has a business need for such access. 2. Access to the internet from the County’s network shall only be via software approved by DIT using County owned and/or approved personal electronic devices. 3. Employees shall access County’s network using their own login and password. Any use that occurs while an employee is logged in is presumed to be performed by that 2008.04 Computer Use Standard Operating Procedure Implemented: September 2017 Revised: SEP 2018, DEC 2024 Next Review: December 2027 employee. Employees must log off the computer when not using it, and before leaving the computer unattended. B. Usage: 1. Individual employees are responsible for the appropriateness and content of material they create, transmit and/or access via the County’s network and systems. Prohibited internet uses include, but not limited to, the following: • Commercial for-profit purposes • Streaming of audio or video for personal entertainment • Religious causes or political lobbying • Engaging in disruptive or malicious activities such as unauthorized software, hardware, or data modification • For virus creation and/or propagation • For hate mail, harassment, or discriminatory purposes • For installing or downloading any software not approved and/or licensed to the County • Online gambling • Accessing material with pornographic or sexual content • Using another person’s account 2. Engaging in prohibited Internet usage as noted above may result in disciplinary actions up to and including termination. 3. Personnel are advised that they have no expectation of privacy in any electronic communication, stored electronic communication, file, image, sound, message, web site visited, or other action or activity while working on a fire department computer, or while using any other computer, cellular telephone, or electronic device that is accessing the County of Hawaii computer system, including while accessing the Internet through the County of Hawai‘i computer system. 4. Personnel are responsible for any information that they view, access, generate or distribute through the County of Hawai‘i computer system. 5. Enabling remote access to the virtual private Network (VPN), Office365, Outlook Web Application (OWA), Skype for business, OneDrive, any web-based County application or other County system shall not constitute or imply the expectation or approval of any employee to perform work outside of their normal work hours. The performance of any work outside of normal work hours shall be subject to approval via the chain of command. C. Electronic Mail: 1. The e-mail system is provided to employees to assist them in conducting department business. As such, members are to treat e-mail as confidential. 2. Personnel shall not use their County of Hawai’i e-mail accounts as their primary personal e-mail account. 2008.04 Computer Use Standard Operating Procedure Implemented: September 2017 Revised: SEP 2018, DEC 2024 Next Review: December 2027 3. Orders that are transmitted via department e-mail shall carry the same weight as verbal and/or written orders. 4. Upon reporting to work, and periodically throughout the day, personnel shall check their e-mail messages. 5. All personnel shall check their e-mail and complete any assignments while on-duty. Before any assignments are completed outside of a normal work shift or work day, the employee must first request and obtain authorization through their chain of command. 6. E-mail Blasts. Employees are prohibited from sending organization wide email messages to all employees without approval from the Mayor’s office. Presently, only the Fire Chiefs office and Hawai’i Fire Department Human Resource section is authorized to send e-mail blasts to employees. 7. The e-mail system shall not be used for any messages that can be considered offensive, discriminatory, defamatory, disparaging, of a sexual nature or threatening to any employee person, or entity. The e-mail system shall be used for business only, and any misuse will not be tolerated. 8. Fire Department members who use electronic systems provided by the department are advised that they do not maintain any right to privacy in electronic messaging equipment or its contents. 9. E-mail and other computer files may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and may be discoverable in litigation. Even deleted messages may be accessible. Assume any e-mail sent over the County of Hawai’i system will be viewed by the public. 10. The County will not monitor e-mail messages as routine matter. There may be a need, however, for the County to occasionally review e-mail, internet access, and/or electronic device content for specific business or law enforcement reason. 11. Personnel are required to report inappropriate use of e-mail. D. Computer Viruses: 1. Because computers are vital to department operations, virus contamination must be diligently avoided. 2. Viruses can alter data, destroy programs, erase the contents of a computer hard drive, and even cause the County-wide are network to fail. 3. Computer viruses are often contained in free software obtained outside the County, on disks, or in e-mail messages from the internet. E. Record Keeping Practices: 1. Data and reports contained in the department’s computer system are classified as official documents. 2. Any information gathered from the department’s computer system shall not be released to the public, without prior permission of the Fire Chief or his designee. F. Confidentiality: 2008.04 Computer Use Standard Operating Procedure Implemented: September 2017 Revised: SEP 2018, DEC 2024 Next Review: December 2027 1. Fire department personnel routinely handle information that is considered to be confidential under federal and state law. This includes information relative to incidents, investigations, patients, and employees, and may include confidential personal information, financial information, and medical information. The following conduct is prohibited when dealing with confidential information. a. Forwarding or sending confidential information to someone not authorized by law to receive it. b. Printing confidential information to a printer in an unsecured area where documents may be read by others. c. Leaving a computer unattended with confidential files logged on accessible or visible. d. Leaving computer disks or memory media with confidential data unattended in easy to access places. Computer systems are complex and vulnerable to physical and environmental abuse and neglect. Employees are responsible to exercise due care in use of department computer equipment. This entire policy applies during work and non-work hours. Attachment: County of Hawaiʿi Department of Information Technology Employee Policies (Rev: March 23, 2020), --End-- County of Hawai 'i Purpose: 'l Email Retention Policy County of Hawai 'i Email Retention Policy Effective Date: December 30, 2016 Revised: July 1, 2017 Revised: March 23, 2020-------- The purpose of this policy is to improve the management of limited electronic storage resources on the County's email servers while maintaining sufficient aging of emails for reference by users. This policy applies only to all deleted emails centrally stored on the County of Hawai'i's email servers. Policy: Deleted emails will be retained on the central County of Hawai'i email servers no longer than 90 days. Once emails deleted by the user have reached the 90-day retention threshold, the Information Systems Department will permanently remove them from the County's email server and they can no longer be retrieved. Duty to Retain Government Records: This email retention policy in no way changes the responsibility of departments follow the County's Paper and Electronic Records Retention Schedule (RRS). If the content of an email message is listed in the RRS as a record which must be retained for a specified period of time, then a copy of the email must be retained by the employee who has custody of the record. Users requiring email storage are encouraged to retain those emails in some location other than the County's email servers. Examples of more appropriate ways to retain emails include 1) archiving or saving the email to the user's local computer or network storage, 2) copying the email to a CD or 3) creating a paper copy. Approved by: arry Kim, Mayor County of Hawai'i Aaron Chung, Co ncil Chair County of Hawai'i Bl Page County of Hawai 'i Purpose Electronic Data Storage Destruction Policy County of Hawai 't Electronic Data Storage DestructionPolicy Effective Date: December 30, 2016 Revised: July 1, 2017 Revised: March 23, 2020-------- The purpose of this document is to set forth a policy and procedure on the proper disposal of electronic data storage, be it in the form of magnetic floppy, magnetic tape, disk drives or USB sticks. All electronic media must be destroyed to prevent access to any data on the media. Destruction can be in the form of crushing or shredding. The Department of Information Technology (DIT) has equipment designed to crush and destroy electronic media as well as a procedure to document the processing and destruction. To request assistance, please Contact DIT via email to help@hawaiicounty.gov. Electronic Media Storage Hard drives should be removed from PC's and laptops that are being recycled. A log of the system from which the drive was removed from and the date that the media was destroyed must be maintained. Upon completion of the crushing of the hard drive, the PC or Laptop can be-removed from inventory and properly recycled. Magnetic Media such as Floppy or Tape This media can be rendered unusable by shredding or by cutting into pieces with scissors or shears . . USB Devices, Cell Phones, PDAs, etc. This media should be crushed and disposed of. Approved by: Aaron Chung, Council Chair County of Hawai'i 91Page