6.3 Technology Acceptable Use Policy
Information Technology Systems are essential for conducting County business. Mohave County makes every effort to provide employees with the most relevant and viable IT Systems for the efficient performance of County business. Managers and employees at all levels require timely access to reliable information processing for routine operations and for the capacity to make major decisions. The usefulness of information is based on the availability, integrity, and security of the technology systems and infrastructure.
A. Purpose: To establish a policy for use of information technology systems more specifically defined as access to hardware and software programs using internet and intranet channels and other communication devices, as well as general computer usage by employees of Mohave County. The County uses these resources to support and facilitate its delivery of County services. Inappropriate use of its IT system could give rise to legal actions against the County and/or individual employees. Therefore, this policy applies to all County IT systems regardless of location (i.e. office, home, field locations, alternate work sites, etc.) and any or all electronic devices used in County business or to access County IT systems. Each County employee who is or becomes an authorized user of the County’s IT system is required to sign the Acceptable Use Policy Acknowledgement.
B. Policy.
1. It is the policy of Mohave County to provide technological resources to its employees to enhance their ability to perform their job and to provide a higher level of service to all citizens. To this end, the county will provide guidelines for the use of such technology and train its employees in their proper usage. The County will also require responsible usage of these resources and hold users accountable for inappropriate use.
2. Incidental and occasional personal use of County technology systems by an employee may be permitted at the sole discretion of the Department Head or Elected Official.
3. All IT Systems owned or implemented by the County, and all content including but not limited to: messages, text, graphics, images, electronic files, and other information transmitted by, received through or stored in these systems, are the property of the County and intended for conducting County business.
4. All systems must be used in accordance with current United States copyright laws and intellectual property rights. Downloading from the internet, or otherwise opening, executing, sending, copying, saving or using intellectual documents or computer files of any kind in violation of said copyright laws or intellectual property rights of third parties is prohibited.
5. Causing unauthorized access to sensitive information due to negligent storage protocols may be subject to disciplinary actions, and may be in violation of local, state or federal laws.
6. The following list of activities are explicitly prohibited:
a. Participating in any and all illegal activities including, but not limited to piracy, extortion, blackmail, copyright infringement, and unauthorized access to any computers, electronic files or internet email is explicitly prohibited.
b. Attempting to access data and electronic information of other users or thirdparties or attempting to access any County service or resource to which explicit authorization has not been granted by the appropriate authority via hacking, cracking, or any other code-breaking attempts to breach or bypass system security will result in immediate suspension of all County systems access.
c. Using County network, computers, email systems, or social media programs for accessing, displaying, transmitting, retrieving, or storing of any language, information, or material of a discriminatory, harassing, or abusive nature; derogatory to any individual or group; defamatory or threatening in nature; obscene, sexually explicit, or pornographic, that would adversely or negatively reflect upon the County; or contrary to the County’s best interests.
d. Engaging in conduct reasonably likely to harm or destroy data or software maintained by another user without that user’s express consent, or to harm or destroy computer equipment.
e. Composing and/or transmitting any messages with the intent to hide the identity of the originator, attempting to represent another person, department, agency or organization.
f. Communicating confidential or sensitive County information.
g. Using County IT Systems for personal monetary gain, commercial promotional purposes or to research, buy or sell goods and services for personal purposes.
h. Making any changes to the IT infrastructure. This is defined as: installing, changing, rearranging and/or reconfiguring and network connections or equipment. Any and all changes to the County enterprise networks shall be coordinated and performed by the employees of the appropriate Information Technology Department (Mohave County IT, Superior Court IT).
i. Connecting non-County owned computers and/or devices to the County network.
7. The following uses of County IT systems are explicitly prohibited unless written authorization is obtained from the Department Director or Elected Official, the County Manager and the County Information Technology Director.
a. Intercepting or altering another person’s email messages or data.
b. Downloading or streaming non-business related information. Examples include but are not limited to movies, on-line games and sporting events.
c. Downloading and/or installing any software or software updates to County owned equipment.
i. All proposed computer equipment purchases, including software, must be reviewed by the Information Technology Department in order to determine compatibility with previously purchased systems and departmental needs.
ii. All software must be properly licensed and used in accordance with that license.
iii. In order to protect against inappropriate use and/or viruses, no employee owned software may be installed on County equipment, even if it may have a departmental application.
iv. The use of any and all non-County email services (such as Gmail, Frontier, Yahoo or Outlook.com) to conduct official county business.
v. Usage of cloud-based systems to store county data. All files, documents and/messages stored in an Internet or cloud-based system must comply with the County's policy on sensitive information.
C. Systems Access.
Employees are granted access to County resources with accounts that require specific credentials. An individual is assigned an account for use while conducting activities related to County business and services. Any account may be revoked temporarily or permanently if the user violates public law or County policy. Should it be necessary, devices may be immediately disconnected from the County network if deemed harmful to software network, countywide network or security.
1. Employees are prohibited from sharing their username and password with any other employee.
2. When not in use, users must lock their workstation to help protect against unauthorized access to, or visibility of, county information.
3. All unused network access ports are isolated from our network to prevent unauthorized device access. No router, wireless access point, hub, or other network device may be installed in any County facility without prior review and approval from the Information Technology Department.
D. County Email Usage.
Subject to the exception noted below, all email messages sent by County employees in performance of their job will contain a return email address identifying the messages as having been sent from the County email system and may be considered public record. Consequently, all users are expected to send and receive only email messages that they would expect to be read by the general public. It is each individual’s responsibility to use email in a professional manner and in compliance with department and county policies.
1. Any records required by state retention statutes to be saved beyond this County default retention schedule will be the responsibility of the department to store a hard copy or save an electronic copy in another approved storage location, off of the County email system.
2. Email messages allow a limited number of recipients to prevent spamming. Exceptions to this policy may be approved by the Information Technology Department if required for employee’s job duties. Mass emailing of non-County or personal business is prohibited, even for these approved users.
3. The County Email System may be accessed via mobile device email applications.
a. This capability is available to users of the County System who utilize County owned or authorized personal Mobile Devices to access and/or utilize County Services.
b. Personal Mobile Devices may connect to the Outlook web application and can be configured to sync email to the personal device.
4. Exception: This section does not apply to legally confidential, privileged, or protected communications.
E. General Internet Usage.
1. The purpose of providing access to the Internet is to support business related activities and research by County employees. The equipment necessary to access the Internet is the exclusive property of Mohave County; therefore, any access of the internet will be at the sole discretion of County Administration. The Information Technology Department will coordinate delivery of access to the Internet with and for the Departments of the county.
2. General Internet usage will be restricted to all County system users. Extended rights to perform County duties will be granted based on a User/Group needs as defined by prior authorization from the Department Director, Elected Official, or County Manager.
F. Social Media Usage.
The use of social media sites in the workplace presents new opportunities as well as many concerns. This policy outlines appropriate conduct on social media sites both during and after working hours using either county or personal resources.
1. Use of Social Media to conduct official county business shall be approved by the Department Head or Elected Official and coordinated with the Information Technology Director.
2. Personal/Private employee blogging or personal/private use of social media sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, is prohibited during working hours using either county or personal resources.
3. Employees who engage in blogging or social media in the performance of their duties shall not attribute personal statements, opinions, or beliefs as official statements, opinions, or beliefs of Mohave County or their Department Head or Elected Official without prior departmental approval. Employees shall obtain authorization and regular review from their Director or Elected Official for all county information being presented or released to the general public via social media. All misuse and abuse of official Social Media outlets shall result in appropriate disciplinary actions.
4. Employees are prohibited from the disclosure of confidential or sensitive information or information that could breach the security of the County’s computer system in any way. All County or Departmental policies regarding confidentiality of County business or information equally apply to postings or other communications on social networking websites, blogs or other electronic media. Disclosure of confidential or sensitive information is prohibited even if the communication is limited to a select
group of “friends” or other recipients. Disclosure of confidential or sensitive information is also prohibited even if statements are made on the employee’s private time using the employee’s own computer resources.
5. Employees are prohibited from using material that would constitute harassment, hate speech, or libel. Employees assume any and all risk associated with blogging. The County may require immediate removal of, and impose discipline for, material that is disruptive to the workplace or impairs the mission of the County.
G. Privacy.
County employees do not have the right to and should not have any expectation of privacy while using any County equipment. Employees should not assume electronic communications are private and confidential and should assume that any file may be intercepted, reviewed, and possibly disclosed.
1. The County maintains the right and ability to access, read, review, disclose, monitor, copy, forward, print, delete, or otherwise control any file, document, database, message, and all other electronic information on an account or generated through any County system or device at any time with or without prior notice or permission from the user for any of the following reasons.
a. To investigate indications of abuse, impropriety, misconduct, or misuse of the County system(s).
b. To fulfill the County’s obligation to third parties.
c. To respond to open public records discovery requests.
d. To respond to legal processes.
e. When there is reasonable suspicion that a user has committed or is committing a crime.
f. When a user is unavailable and such information is vital to County operations.
g. When a user leaves County employment for any reason.
h. For any other reason identified by appropriate authorities of the County.
2. The Department Head or Elected Official will review and approve any request for access to the contents of an employee’s computer and/or data prior to access being made without the employee’s consent.
H. Responsibility.
All standards of conduct and behavior set forth by Mohave County shall also be fully applicable to the use of the County’s Email, Internet, and Social Media systems. All county employees are responsible for complying with this policy and individual department policies with regard to Information Technology resources.
1. Employees are required to report any suspected violations of this policy, including the reporting of detected viruses.
2. Disciplinary action: Any employee found to be abusing the privilege of County facilitated services in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal of employment and/or criminal prosecution, if appropriate.