Policy Name: Internet Access and Use Creation Date/Revisions: 08/01/01 Rev 1.0 Effective Date: 07/15/99
Purpose: This policy defines acceptable use of the Internet by DC government employees.
Policy Details:
General
The Internet can and should be used to help DC government serve the people in an efficient and effective manner. With such use, however, comes responsibility, and each DC agency and employee is responsible for safeguarding the public trust.
Each DC government agency is, therefore, responsible for control of information provided via the Internet or accessed by DC government employees over the Internet in a disciplined, managed, and consistent manner. All DC government policies relating to intellectual property protection, privacy, misuse of government resources, sexual harassment, data security, and confidentiality apply to employee conduct on the Internet.
Users shall prevent the introduction of computer viruses into DC government systems. Users must have virus-scanning software to check any software or documents downloaded from the Internet.
Principles for Use
Employee access to the Internet through established DC government facilities is offered as a tool for meeting the programmatic needs of DC government agencies. DC government-provided Internet access is therefore considered to be DC government property. All DC government Internet users are expressly prohibited from using DC government-provided Internet access for personal and/or non-DC government business. Do not visit websites that contain non-business related, discriminatory, pornographic, bandwidth-consuming, or harassing material.
Specifically acceptable uses of the Internet by DC government users include:
- Communication and information exchange directly related to the mission, charter, or work tasks of a DC government agency
- Communication and information exchange for professional development, to maintain currency of training or education, or to discuss issues related to the Internet user's DC government activities
- Administration or applications for contracts or grants for DC government programs or research
- Advisory capacity, standards, research, analysis, and professional society activities related to the user's governmental work tasks and duties
- Announcement of DC government laws, procedures, policies, rules, services, programs, information, or activities
- Other governmental administrative communications not requiring a high level of security
Specifically prohibited uses of the Internet include:
- Any purpose which violates a federal or DC government law, code or policy, standard, or procedure
- Any purposes not directly related to the mission, charter or work tasks of a DC government agency
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Private business, including commercial advertising
Access to and/or distribution of: - Indecent or obscene material
- Child pornography
- Fraudulent information
- Harassing material
- Racial information
- Interference with or disruption of the network and/or associated users, services, or equipment
- Any activity with religious or political purposes
- Religious or political activity
- Any unauthorized purchases
Statutory Authority: DC Law 12-175, Act 12-239
Scope
The following DC government users are covered by this policy:
- Full or part-time employees
- Contractors who are authorized to use DC government-owned equipment or facilities
- Volunteers who are authorized use of DC government resources to access the Internet
- All users of the DC government IT resources
Exemptions: There are no exemptions; however, OTCO will consider granting exceptions on a case-by-case basis requested in writing by the head of an agency.
Roles & Responsibilities
Agency Heads are responsible for the Internet activities of their users and for the implementation and enforcement of the policy. Each agency must ensure that DC government-provided Internet services are used for legitimate DC government functions and purposes. Agencies may want to add restrictions and guidelines regarding the use of the Internet by their users, based on specific business requirements and mission.
OCTO reserves the right to review Internet use by DC employees at any time to determine compliance with this and related policies. Use of DC government IT resources constitutes express consent to monitor those resources. OCTO will normally block an offending user account for a period of time to be determined by OCTO and will refer violations of policy to the affected agency Director for further corrective action. OCTO also reserves the right to block access to specific external Internet sites whose content is deemed inappropriate (e.g., obscene content, communications that encourage hate or violence, access to gambling) and inconsistent with DC government functions and may reflect unfavorably on the DC government image.
Related Policies and Supporting Documentation
- Proper Use of Information Technology (IT) Resources
- Electronic Mail (Email) Access and Use Policy