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Acceptable Use of Information Technology
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Supplement to the BSOS NET Newsletter
November, 1997
The following materials were developed by Rodney Petersen
(J.D.), Coordinator of Policy and Ethics & Director of Project
NEThics for Academic Information Technology Services (aITs).
Project NEThics is an initiative of aITs with a mission of
ensuring responsible use of university computing resources
through policy enforcement and user education about the legal and
ethical implications of computer use.
Your use of the University of Maryland computing resources,
including any accounts administered by BSOS's Office of Academic
Computing Services, is governed by the university's Policy on the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources (available at
www.inform.umd.edu/aup). This special edition of the BSOS NET
Newsletter is devoted to helping you understand some of the
issues and concerns that you should know about before you travel
the information highway.
Primary Principles: Freedom of Expression/Personal Responsibility
The Guidelines contain the following statement that pronounces
the university's philosophy and demonstrates its commitment to
principles of academic freedom and the application of the First
Amendment's protection of freedom of speech to cyberspace:
"Freedom of expression and an open environment to pursue
scholarly inquiry and for sharing of information are
encouraged, supported, and protected at the University of Maryland. These values lie at the core of our academic
community. Censorship is not compatible with the tradition
and goals of the university. While some computing resources
may be dedicated to specific research, teaching, or
administrative tasks that would limit their use, freedom of
expression must, in general, be protected. The university
does not limit access to information due to its content when
it meets the standard of legality. The university's policy
of freedom of expression applies to computing resources."
Concomitant with free expression are personal obligations of
each member of our community to use computing resources
responsibly, ethically, and in a manner which accords both
with the law and the rights of others. The campus depends
first upon a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation to
create and maintain an open community of responsible users.
Key Provisions
Key provisions of the Guidelines are emphasized below:
Purpose of Use
According to the Guidelines, "computing resources are provided to
support the academic research, instructional, and administrative
objectives of the university." The Guidelines also state that
all use must be "consistent with the university's mission."
Sole Use
The Guidelines explicitly state that "these resources are
extended for the sole use of university faculty, staff, students,
and other authorized users ("users") to accomplish tasks related
to the user's status at the university." Consequently, network
access or passwords should not be provided to friends, family, or
significant others.
Responsibility for Misuse
In an effort to ensure accountability, the Guidelines warn that
"each user is responsible for all transactions made under the
authorization of his or her ID, and for all network activity
originating from his or her data jack." Furthermore, the
Guidelines advise that "users are solely responsible for their
personal use of computing resources and are prohibited from
representing or implying that the content constitutes the views
or policies of the university."
Reporting Misuse
The source of computer misuse complaints is frequently someone
from outside of the university community. The Internet has
brought the behavior of university faculty, staff, and students
under the watchful eye of the public, including alumni and
citizens of the State. "Suspected or known violations" should be
reported to Project NEThics at (301)405-8787
(nethics@umd.edu) or OACS if it involves a computing
resource administered by BSOS.
Consequences for Misuse
The Guidelines did not create a new procedure for handling
misconduct. Violations will be processed by the appropriate
university authorities and may result in revocation of computing
resource privileges, academic dishonesty or Honor Council
proceedings, faculty, staff or student disciplinary action. Law
enforcement agencies will be consulted whenever the misuse
violates state or federal laws.
Illegal Activities
Criminal and illegal use may include obscenity, child
pornography, threats, harassment, copyright infringement,
defamation, theft, and unauthorized access.
Commercial or For-Profit Use
The Guidelines do not permit individuals to use university
computing resources for commercial or for-profit activities.
However, with prior approval a college or department may use may
use computing resources in support of revenue-generating
activities. The Provost must grant exceptions to the commercial
use provision within Academic Affairs.
Privacy and Access to User Accounts
Many people underestimate the limitations to privacy that is a
result of networked technologies. Additionally, faculty and
staff should beware that that privacy is subject to the Maryland
Access to Public Records Act, other applicable state and federal
laws, and the needs of the university to meet its administrative,
business, and legal obligations. However, the Guidelines
indicate that "to the extent possible in the electronic
environment and in a public setting, a user's privacy will be
preserved."
The university's position on the privacy of electronic information
is summarized in the Guidelines as follows:
"The maintenance, operation, and security of computing resources
require responsible university personnel to monitor and access the
system. To the extent possible in the electronic environment and
in a public setting, a user's privacy will be preserved. Nevertheless,
that privacy is subject to the Maryland Access to Public Records Act,
other applicable state and federal laws, and the needs of the university
to meet its administrative, business, and legal obligations."
In addition to establishing a reasonable expectation of privacy for users,
the Guidelines also prohibit "attempt[s] to access or accessing another's
account, private files, or e-mail without the owner's permission . . ."
How To Protect Yourself From Becoming A Victim of Misuse
- You should not share your password with anyone. If you need
to provide someone with temporary access to your e-mail or
computing files, please consult with OACS or the aITs help
desk (5-1500) about alternatives.
- Carefully select your password and change it frequently.
Passwords that contain common dictionary terms or words that
are associated with your person are easy to figure out and
crack. A combination of letters and numbers in a random
fashion is best.
- Be careful to log-out in an open lab or close your office
door if you need to leave your workstation while logged-in.
Some of the most clever and devastating abuses occur when
someone leaves an account open or workstation unattended.
- Use caution in the exchange of personal information over the
Internet. While technology has made it easier for us to
conduct our work, the same is true for scam artists. Until
better authentication and commercial security measures are
in place, do not divulge personal or financial information
on-line.
- Save an electronic copy of any e-mail misuse that you
receive. Critical information that is contained in the
message headers is often lost in printing. Forward a
complete copy of the message including full headers to your
technical support staff as soon as possible following an
incident.
- For mailing lists of 25 users or more, consider using a
LISTSERV, majordomo, newsgroup, mail reflector or similar
form of technology. Problems associated with list
management and inappropriate postings are minimized when
messaging systems designed for mass mailings are utilized.
Campus Resources
Project NEThics
Academic Information Technology Services
(301) 405-8787
nethics@umd.edu
www.umd.edu/NEThics
Campus Compliance Officer
Office of Human Relations Programs
(301) 405-2838
ohrp-compliance@umail.umd.edu
www.inform.umd.edu/ohrp
President's Legal Office
(301) 405-4945
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Copyright © 1996-2002 Project NEThicssm, University of Maryland
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