U.S. Government Computer
System Security Statement/Disclaimer
This information service operates on a U. S. Government
computer system. This system is monitored to ensure proper operation, to verify
the functioning of applicable security features, and for other like purposes.
Use of this service constitutes consent to such monitoring. Unauthorized
attempts to upload or change information; to defeat or circumvent security
features; or to utilize this system for other than its intended purposes are
prohibited and may result in prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
of 1986 or other applicable statutes and regulations. This information service is intended for the public viewing and
retrieving of unofficial, unclassified information only. Information on this
service should not be construed to represent official Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Office of Indian Education Programs policies or positions. Information from
this service may be distributed or copied, subject only to any indicated
copyright restrictions and normally accepted procedures for properly crediting
sources.
Office of Indian
Education Program
Internet / eMail Acceptable Use Policy
Mission:
The mission of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Office of Indian Education Programs, is to provide quality education opportunities
from early childhood through life in accordance with Tribe's needs for cultural
and economic well-being in keeping with the wide diversity of Indian Tribes and
Alaska Native villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities. The
Bureau shall manifest consideration of the whole person, taking into account
the spiritual, mental, physical and cultural aspects of the person within
family and Tribal or Alaska Native village contexts.
Authorized Users:
All OIEP Staff are authorized to utilize the
email and administrative resources of the Office of Indian Education
Programs at 500 Gold Ave SW Room 7A,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.
Network Security and Administration:
All users who utilize the OIEP resources
agree to Federal and OIEP regulations, policies and guidelines. All users are
restricted to the applications for which they have been given access to. All
OIEP staff are responsible for protecting their user accounts from being
compromised. Any inappropriate or improper use of network or ADP resources by
any user should be reported to the OIEP Information Technology staff. In
addition to having access rights revoked, any user found to be party to
unauthorized or illegal activity will be subject to disciplinary action, prosecution
or both if warranted.
Acceptable eMail Use:
The Office of Ind ian Education Programs
adheres to policies and guidelines set by the Department of the Interior
policies and can be viewed at
www.bia.edu/ednet.htm. In addition to these guidelines, the following OIEP
policies
apply:
·
All staff shall
maintain a valid email account from the bia.edu domain. Circulating long email
lists for jokes, and pornography is strictly prohibited.
·
The receipt or
transmission of data, which misrepresents the federal government; conduct of a
federal employee or is inconsistent with the mission of OIEP, is strictly
prohibited. Specifically prohibited is any material that contains violent,
sexually oriented or pornographic material. Online chat rooms; online subscriptions
to personal web sites are prohibited unless required for business, examples of
acceptable online services are; E-workshops, distance education, professional
and technical list-serves.
·
Any receipt or
transmission of materials over the Internet, which is in violation of Federal,
State, U.S. International law or the policy of the Office of Indian Education
Programs, is strictly prohibited.
·
Violation of
this policy may subject the user to termination of access and disciplinary
action deemed appropriate.
Violation of this agreement:
The IT Administrators upon directive of your
immediate supervisor will suspend and revoke ADP resource privileges if a
violation has occurred and action is deemed necessary. The Department of the
Interior Inspector General will be notified if a federal or security violation
has occurred within the OIEP network resources.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF POLICES
Each individual upon signature for
authorization to utilize OIEP Internet and email resources shall be required to
sign receipt of the following statement:
“I hereby certify that I have received a copy
of the Office of Indian Education Programs Acceptable Use Policy, and agree to
the terms and conditions stated. I understand that any violation of the terms
of these policies may result in suspension or termination of my access,
privileges, and disciplinary action in accordance with the appropriate
guideline for the user. I further understand that the improper usage of any
OIEP proprietary and non-proprietary software may result in disciplinary
action. In the event that my conduct utilizing the OIEP network resources or
email access causes civil liability or monetary loss, I acknowledge that I may
be required to indemnify the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Indian
Education Programs”.
The U.S. Department
of the Interior
INTERNET Acceptable Use Policy
May 23, 1997
Purpose
The Internet provides a source of information that can benefit every
professional discipline represented in the Department of the Interior. It is
the policy of the Department that employees whose job performance can be
enhanced through use of the Internet be provided access and become proficient
in its capabilities. This policy document delineates acceptable use of the
Internet by Departmental employees, volunteers, and contractors while using
Government-owned or -leased equipment, facilities, Internet addresses, or
domain names registered to the Department of the Interior.
Background
The Internet is comprised of thousands of interconnected networks which
provide digital pathways to millions of information sites. Because these
networks subscribe to a common set of standards and protocols, users have
worldwide access to Internet hosts and their associated applications and
databases. Electronic search and retrieval tools permit users to gather
information and data from a multitude of sources and to communicate with other
Internet users who have related interests.
Access to the Internet provides government agencies with the opportunity to
locate and use current and historical data from multiple sources worldwide in
their decision-making processes. Employees and authorized volunteers and
contractors of the Department of the Interior are encouraged to develop the
skills necessary to effectively utilize these tools in the performance of their
jobs.
Scope of the Policy
This policy applies to Internet access only. It does not cover the
requirements, standards, and procedures for the development and implementation
of Departmental information sites on the Internet.
The following Departmental Internet users are covered by this policy:
1. Full or part-time employees of the Department of the Interior.
2.Volunteers who are authorized to use Departmental resources to access the
Internet.
3. Departmental contractors who are authorized to use Government-owned
equipment or facilities.
This policy distinguishes between Internet access performed during normal
working hours and that performed on personal time (i.e., on weekends, before
and after work, during lunch periods,or during scheduled break periods). This
policy applies to Internet access when using Government equipment and
facilities, and performed using Internet Protocol addresses and domain names
registered to the Department.
Policy
The Department of the Interior promotes Internet use that enables employees to
perform Departmental missions and encourages its employees, volunteers, and
contractor personnel to develop Internet skills and knowledge. If an employee's
supervisor determines that Internet access is in the best interest of the
Government, the employee will be permitted, within the limits set forth below,
to use the Internet on personal time to build his/her network search and
retrieval skills. Employees who do not require access to the Internet as part
of their official duties, may not access the Internet using Departmental
facilities under any circumstances. It is expected that employees will use the
Internet to improve their job knowledge; to access scientific, technical, and
other information on topics which have relevance to the Department; and to communicate
with their peers in other Government agencies, academia, and industry. Users
should be aware that when access is accomplished using Internet addresses and
domain names registered to the Department of the Interior, they may be
perceived by others to represent the Department. Users are advised not to use
the Internet for any purpose which would reflect negatively on the Department
or its employees.
Federal computer systems are for Government use and not for personal use;
however, when certain criteria are met, Departmental users are permitted to
engage in the following activities:
1.During working hours, access job-related information, as needed, to meet
the requirements of their jobs.
2.During working hours, participate in news groups, chat sessions, and
E-mail discussion groups (list servers), provided these sessions have a direct
relationship to the user's job with the Department. If personal opinions are
expressed, a disclaimer should be included stating that this is not an official
position of the Department.
3.During personal time, retrieve nonjob-related text and graphics
information to develop or enhance Internet-related skills if the office pays a
fixed rate for Internet access; that is, the access charge is usage insensitive
and if a dial-up connection is made to an Internet access provider it must be
within the local calling areas. It is expected that these skills will be used
to improve the accomplishment of job-related work assignments. This policy of
allowing employees to use Internet resources during nonwork periods is similar
to the policy of allowing staff to use library resources on personal time. The
use of both types of resources enhances the employee’s knowledge and skill in
information retrieval, benefits which immediately translate to his or her
ability to perform work-related activities. By encouraging employees to explore
the Internet, the Department also builds its pool of Internet-literate staff
who can then guide and encourage other employees.
4.Employees are prohibited from initiating nonwork-related Internet sessions
using Departmental information resources from remote locations. That is,
employees shall not dial into Departmental resources from home or other
nondepartmental locations for the purpose of participating in nonjob-related
Internet activities.
The following uses of the Internet, either during working hours or personal
time, using Departmental equipment or facilities, are not allowed:
1. Access, retrieve, or print text and graphics information which exceeds
the bounds of generally accepted standards of good taste and ethics.
2. Engage in any unlawful activities or any other activities which would in
any way bring discredit on the Department of the Interior.
3. Engage in personal commercial activities on the Internet, including
offering services or merchandise for sale or ordering services or merchandise
from on-line vendors.
4. Engage in any activity which would compromise the security of any
Government host computer. Host log-in passwords will not be disclosed or shared
with other users.
5.Engage in any fund raising activity, endorse any product or services,
participate in any lobbying activity, or engage in any active political
activity. The prohibition against engaging in political activity does not apply
to Presidential appointees who have received Senate confirmation.
Supervisory Responsibility
Supervisors of Departmental employees, volunteers, and contractors will have
the final authority in determining whether an employee requires Internet skills
to accomplish their assigned duties. Supervisors have the responsibility for:
1.Acquiring Internet access for their employees who need it to conduct the
official business of the Department.
2.Determining whether or not Internet access is provided to their employees
for a flat fee. If access is provided on a flat fee basis, employees may use
the Internet for the activities outlined above. Supervisors should check with
the group system or LAN administrator to determine whether their Internet
access is acquired at a flat fee.
3.Advising their employees regarding the restriction against personal use of
Departmental Internet access resources from other than Departmental facilities.
4.Assuming the responsibility for making the final determination as to the
appropriateness of their employee’s use of the Internet, when questions arise.
This shall include the acceptability of Internet sites visited and the
determination of personal time versus official work hours.
User Responsibilities
Use of computer equipment and Internet access to accomplish job
responsibilities will always have priority over personal use. In order to avoid
capacity problems and to reduce the susceptibility of Department information
technology resources to computer viruses, Internet users will comply with the
following guidelines.
1.Personal files obtained via the Internet may not be stored on individual
PC hard drives or on local area network (LAN) file servers.
2.Official video and voice files should not be downloaded from the Internet
except when they will be used to serve an approved Departmental function.
Users are responsible for:
1.Following existing security policies and procedures in their use of
Internet services and will refrain from any practices which might jeopardize
the Department’s computer systems and data files, including but not limited to
virus attacks, when downloading files from the Internet.
2.Learning about Internet etiquette, customs, and courtesies, including
those procedures and guidelines to be followed when using remote computer services
and transferring files from other computers.
3. Familiarizing themselves with any special requirements for accessing,
protecting, and utilizing data, including Privacy Act materials, copyrighted
materials, and procurement sensitive data.
4.Conducting themselves in a way that reflects positively on the Department,
since they are identified as Departmental employees on the Internet even though
they may be using the Internet for personal reasons, as stated above.
5.Being aware, along with their supervisors, whether Internet access is
billed on a flat fee rather than a usage sensitive basis.
Individuals using Government equipment to access the Internet are subject to
having activities monitored by system or security personnel. Use of this system
constitutes consent to security monitoring, and employees should remember that
most sessions are not private.
For information regarding this policy document contact your LAN
administrator, supervisor, or Steve King at 202-208-0596.