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COMPUTER AND NETWORK USAGE GUIDES

The Computer Network Center, CNC, in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI provides the technical support for the computing needs of the students, faculty and staff. The CNC directly manages 10 instructional and 1 large open PC lab along with technical support for approximately 20 UNIX and PC departmental labs. The typical PC configuration for the CNC labs is a Pentium IV. The CNC is commonly involved in the support of the teaching effort and student project assistance.

1. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

This document constitutes a School-wide policy for the Purdue School of Engineering & Technology at IUPUI that is managed by the Computer Network Center (CNC). This policy is intended to allow for the proper use of all CNC computing and network resources, effective protection of individual users, equitable access, and proper management of those resources. This policy applies to CNC network usage even in situations where it would not apply to the computer(s) in use. These guidelines are intended to supplement, not replace, all existing laws, regulations, agreements, and contracts which currently apply to these services.

Departments within the Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, IUPUI that operate their own computers or networks may add, with the approval of the Department Chair, individual guidelines which supplement, but do not alter, this policy. In such cases, the department should inform their users and the CNC prior to implementation.

Access to networks and computer systems owned or operated by CNC imposes certain responsibilities and obligations and is granted subject to School policies and local, state, and federal laws. Appropriate use should always be legal, ethical, reflect academic honesty, reflect community standards, and show restraint in the consumption of shared resources. It should demonstrate respect for intellectual property; ownership of data; system security mechanisms; and individuals rights to privacy and to freedom from intimidation, harassment, and unwarranted annoyance. Appropriate use of computing and networking resources includes instruction; independent study; authorized research; independent research; communications; and official work of the offices, units, recognized student and campus organizations, and agencies of the School.

2. DEFINITIONS

Authorized use of CNC-owned or operated computing and network resources must be consistent with the education, research, and service mission of the School.
Authorized users are:
current faculty, retired faculty, staff, and students of the School
anyone connecting to a public information service
others whose access furthers the mission of the School and whose usage does not interfere with other users' access to resources.

Policies in effect for the IUPUI Integrated Technologies Group may also apply.

3. INDIVIDUAL PRIVILEGES

It must be understood that privileges are conditioned upon acceptance of the accompanying responsibilities.

Privacy:
To the greatest extent possible in a public setting we want to preserve the individual's privacy. Electronic and other technological methods must not be used to infringe upon privacy. However, users must recognize that CNC computer systems and networks are public and subject to the Indiana Open Records Act. Users, thus, utilize such systems at their own risk. The constitutional right to freedom of speech applies to all members of the campus no matter the medium used. However, no one has any right to harass anyone else by computer or network usage. (Section 4.2)
People creating intellectual works using CNC computers or networks, including but not limited to software, should consult with the IUPUI Copyright Management Center, the E&T Copyright Policy, and related CNC policies.

4. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES

You are responsible to all other members of the school and campus community in many ways, including to respect and value the rights of privacy for all, to recognize and respect the diversity of the population and opinion in the community, to behave ethically, and to comply with all legal restrictions regarding the use of information that is the property of others.

4.1 Privacy of information:

Files of personal information, including programs, no matter on what medium they are stored or transmitted, may be subject to the Indiana Open Records Act if stored on CNC's computers. That fact notwithstanding, no one should look at, copy, alter, or destroy anyone else's personal files without explicit permission (unless authorized or required to do so by law or regulation). Simply being able to access a file or other information does not imply permission to do so. Similarly, no one should connect to a host on the network without advance permission in some form. People and organizations link computers to the network for numerous reasons, and many consider unwelcome connects to be attempts to invade their privacy or compromise their security.

4.1.1 Intellectual property:

You are responsible for recognizing and honoring the intellectual property rights of others by giving proper attribution.

4.2 Harassment:

No member of the community may, under any circumstances, use CNC's computers or networks to libel, slander, or harass any other person. Computer harassment includes, but is not limited to

1. Intentionally using the computer to annoy, harass, terrify, intimidate, threaten, offend or bother another person by conveying obscene language, pictures, or other materials or threats of bodily harm to the recipient or the recipient's immediate family.
2. Intentionally using the computer to contact another person repeatedly with the intent to annoy, harass, or bother, whether or not any actual message is communicated, and/or where no purpose of legitimate communication exists, and where the recipient has expressed a desire for the communication to cease.
3. Intentionally using the computer to contact another person repeatedly regarding a matter for which one does not have a legal right to communicate, once the recipient has provided reasonable notice that he or she desires such communication to cease (such as debt collection).
4. Intentionally using the computer to disrupt or damage the academic, research, administrative, or related pursuits of another.
5. Intentionally using the computer to invade the privacy, academic or otherwise, of another or the threatened invasion of the privacy of another.

4.3 Responsible use of resources:

You are responsible for knowing what information resources (including networks) are available, remembering that other people share them, and refraining from all acts that waste or prevent others from using these resources or from using them in whatever ways have been proscribed by the School and the laws of the State and Federal governments. Details regarding available resources are available in many ways, including consulting CNC Responsibilities (see section 5),conferring with other users, examining on-line and printed references maintained by CNC and others, visiting the CNC, and contacting the CNC Help Desk.

4.4 Game playing:

Limited recreational game playing, that is not part of an authorized and assigned research or instructional activity, is tolerated (within the parameters of each department's rules). School computing and network services are not to be used for extensive or competitive recreational game playing. Recreational game players occupying a seat in a public computing facility must give up that seat when others who need to use the facility for academic or research purposes are waiting.

4.5 Information integrity:

It is your responsibility to be aware of the potential for and possible effects of manipulating information, especially in electronic form, to understand the changeable nature of electronically stored information, and to verify the integrity and completeness of information that you compile or use. Do not depend on information or communications to be correct when they appear contrary to your expectations; verify it with the person who you believe originated the message or data.

4.6 Use of desktop systems:

You are responsible in coordination with the CNC for the security and integrity of School information stored on your personal desktop system. This responsibility includes making regular disk backups, controlling physical and network access to the machine, and installing and using virus protection software. Avoid storing passwords or other information that can be used to gain access to other campus computing resources.

4.7 Access to facilities and information

Sharing of access:
Computer accounts, passwords, and other types of authorization are assigned to individual users and must not be shared with others. You are responsible for any use of your account.

You may not run or otherwise configure software or hardware to intentionally allow access by unauthorized users. (Section 2)

Special access to information or other special computing privileges are to be used in performance of official duties only. Information that you obtain through special privileges is to be treated as private.

When you cease being a member of the campus community (graduate or terminate employment), or if you are assigned a new position and/or responsibilities within the School, your access authorization must be reviewed. You must not use facilities, accounts, access codes, privileges, or information for which you are not authorized in your new circumstances.

4.8 Attempts to circumvent security:

Users are prohibited from attempting to circumvent or subvert any system's security measures. This section does not prohibit use of security tools by system administration personnel.
You are prohibited from using any computer program or device to intercept or decode passwords or similar access control information.
Deliberate attempts to degrade the performance of a computer system or network or to deprive authorized personnel of resources or access to any School computer system or network are prohibited.
The following harmful activities are prohibited: creating or propagating viruses; disrupting services; damaging files; intentional destruction of or damage to equipment, software, or data belonging to CNC or other users; and the like.

Unauthorized Access: You may not:

• damage computer systems
• obtain extra resources not authorized to you
• deprive another user of authorized resources
• gain unauthorized access to systems or networks

by using knowledge of:

• a special password
• loopholes in computer security systems
• another user's password
• access abilities you used during a previous position at the school

Any misconduct with regard to Computer Trespass may also fall under an Indiana Class A misdemeanor as referenced in the Indiana Code 35-43-2-3.

Unauthorized monitoring:
You may not use computing resources for unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications.

4.9 Use of copyrighted information and materials

You are prohibited from using, inspecting, copying, and storing copyrighted computer programs and other material, in violation of copyright.

4.10 Use of licensed software:

No software may be installed, copied, or used on School resources except as permitted by the owner of the software. Software subject to licensing must be properly licensed and all license provisions (installation, use, copying, number of simultaneous users, term of license, etc.) must be strictly adhered to. Licenses shall be maintained on file in the CNC, while software is in use on CNC computers.

4.11 Political campaigning; commercial advertising:

The use of the School computers and networks shall conform with the policies pertaining to conflict of interests as outlined in the Indiana University Academic Handbook IUPUI Supplement. This policy prohibits the use of CNC computer resources, (Home Pages) for any commercial or political promotions.

4.12 Personal business:

Computing facilities, services, and networks may not be used in connection with compensated outside work nor for the benefit of organizations not related to the Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, except: in connection with scholarly pursuits (such as faculty publishing activities); in accordance with the Indiana University Academic Handbook IUPUI Supplement, or in a purely incidental way. This and any other incidental use (such as electronic communications or storing data on single-user machines) must not interfere with other users' access to resources (computer cycles, network bandwidth, disk space, printers, etc.) and must not be excessive. State law restricts the use of State facilities or assets for personal gain or benefit.

5.CNC Responsibilities

5.1 Control of access to information:

CNC may control access to its information and the devices on which it is stored, manipulated, and transmitted in the interest of the academic mission of the school.

5.2 Imposition of sanctions:

CNC may impose sanctions and initiate due process to anyone who violates the policies of the School regarding computer and network usage. Units of CNC operating computer and networks may suspend computer and network privileges of an individual for reasons relating to his/her physical or emotional safety and well being, or for reasons relating to the safety and well-being of other members of the campus community, or School property. Access may remain suspended as a result of the formal disciplinary process imposed by the Office of the Vice President for Student Services (for students) or the employee's department in consultation with the Office of Human Resources (for employees).

5.3 Monitoring of usage, inspection of files:

Units of CNC operating computers and networks may routinely monitor and log all usage data, such as network session connection times and end-points, CPU and disk utilization for each user, security audit trails, network loading, etc. when necessary. Any person who believes such monitoring is necessary must obtain the concurrence of the unit head and the campus Legal Division. In all cases all individuals' privileges and right of privacy are to be preserved to the greatest extent possible.

5.4 Security procedures:

CNC has the responsibility to develop, implement, maintain, and enforce appropriate security procedures to ensure the integrity of individual and institutional information, however stored, and to initiate due process when any of these guidelines are violated.
CNC is responsible for:

• enforcing this policy
• providing for security in their areas
• providing individuals equipped with school-owned desktop systems with resources for regular disk backups (software, hardware, media, and training) and for virus protection

If warranted by the importance and sensitivity of information stored and processed in their facility, the CNC must also:

• provide system administration personnel
• perform and verify integrity of regular media backups
• employ appropriate security-related software and procedures
• guard confidentiality of private information, including user files and system access codes
• control physical access to equipment
• provide proper physical environment for equipment
• provide safeguards against fire, flood, theft, etc.
• provide proper access administration; e.g., prompt and appropriate adjustment of access permissions upon a user's termination or transfer
• control and record system software and configuration changes
• monitor system logs for access control violation attempts

5.5 Advisory Committees

The CNC has designated a person employed by the CNC as their Campus-wide Technology Support Team Representative (CTST). The CTST Representative will serve as the liaison between the CNC and IUPUI's Integrated Technology Group.

The CNC Advisory Committee will meet regularly and shall consist of representatives from all School Departments, Integrated Technology and other groups that are served by the CNC.