To ensure the proper use of the Internet, including electronic mail (E-Mail) by SHA employees and others who may use SHA’s equipment or facilities while supporting the needs of SHA residents, Board of Commissioners and employees.
Use of the Internet is encouraged to:
a. Provide an efficient method to exchange information between governmental agencies, and to the public.
b. Facilitate the dissemination of information to other Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), residents and the general public.
II. RESPONSIBILITIES
a. It is the responsibility of the IT Department to review Internet usage and recommend policies and procedures with regard to the use of the Internet and E-mail by SHA employees, residents and the Board of Commissioners.
b. It is the responsibility of the IT Department to maintain the hardware, software, and technological infrastructure for SHA access to the Internet and E-mail.
c. It will be the responsibility of the IT Department to be the Web Page Administrator and as such will:
i. Coordinate all additions, revisions, and deletions to the SHA Web Page. ii. Ensure conformity of all SHA Web Page information with approved standards. iii. Plan and provide for SHA staff, Resident Association Officers and Board of
Commissioners training on using the Internet and E-mail.
iv. Inform the President/CEO of all significant activities regarding the administration of the SHA Web Page.
d. It is the responsibility of the IT Lead Technician and Resident Association Officers to ensure that SHA Internet and E-mail policies and procedures are followed by employees and others who may be under their direction, within their Departments or Resident Associations. e. It is the responsibility of SHA employees, Resident Association Officers and others who use SHA equipment or facilities to adhere to all SHA Internet and Email Policies and Procedures.
III. EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE
a. To demonstrate compliance with this policy, the following documentation will be distributed and signed in:
i. SHA Internet Usage Policy Statement ii. Signed User Consent Forms
IV. GENERAL POLICIES
a. Employees, Resident Association Officers and others shall exercise good judgment and will conduct themselves according to the existing SHA Policies and Procedures while using the Internet and E-mail. Employees shall use the Internet and E-mail for SHA business only. Some examples of business related purposes are:
i. Communication and information exchanges directly relating to the mission and work tasks of the SHA.
ii. Announcements of state laws, procedures, hearing, policies, services, or activities. iii. Use for advisory, standards, research, analysis, and professional society or
development activities related to the user’s duties; and
iv. Use in applying for or administering grants or contracts for government research programs.
b. All access to the Internet and E-mail using SHA equipment or facilities will be subject to the terms of this policy including disciplinary action for the violation of any SHA or State Public Records Access policy as a result of such use.
c. All information contained within E-mail System is owned by the SHA and subject to the Freedom of Information Act. No Confidentiality should be assumed regardless of the content and nature of the message. SHA management may, at their discretion, review any internet or e-mail usage patterns by employees at any time.
d. Prohibited uses of the Internet and E-mail at all times include but are not limited to the following: • Illegal activities • Threats • Harassment • Slander • Defamation
• Obscene or suggestive messages or offensive graphical images.
• Accessing, storing, archiving, transmitting, distributing, editing or recording pornographic or sexually explicit materials or images
• Political activities
• Activities that will incur a cost to the SHA without prior authorization from Senior Management.
• Chain letters through E-mail
• Private, commercial activities for profit making purposes
• Violation of copyright laws
• Communication of an intimate nature
• Use of social networking sites, such as Facebook, Myspace, Friendster, or others, unless the use of such a social networking site is necessary for a particular job or task and is pre- approved by the Human Resources Department.
e. Abuses of this Internet and E-mail policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
f. All electronic systems, hardware, software, temporary or permanent files and any related systems or divides are the property of SHA. Senior Management, at their sole discretion and for any reason or no reason at all, has the authority to inspect at any time the contents of any equipment, files, and calendars, electronic mail in the normal course of their supervisory responsibilities. Any software downloaded via the Internet or any other medium on to the System becomes the property of SHA, and may only be used in ways that are consistent with their licenses or copyrights and with this policy
g. No employee may use SHA email or internet to knowingly download or distribute pirated software or data. Neither shall an employee use SHA email or internet to deliberately propagate any virus, worm, Trojan horse, or trap-door program code, or any other electronic device that may disrupt or interface with SHA’s network or any other person’s computer network.
h. No software or games may be downloaded to play games against opponents over the internet. Employees may not use the internet to download images or videos unless there is an explicit SHA-related use for the material.
LIABILITY
SHA makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied for the service that is the subject of this policy. In addition, the SHA will not be responsible for any damages whatsoever which employees, Resident Association Officers or others may suffer arising from or related to their use of any SHA electronic information sources; whether such damage is incidental, consequential, or otherwise; or whether such damages include loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mistaken deliveries; or service interruptions; whether caused by either SHA’s negligence, errors, or omissions. Users must recognize that the use of SHA’s electronic information resources is a privilege and that the policies implementing usage are requirements that mandate adherence.
NOTES: Relevant Laws
There are least two laws, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, which have been enacted to control abuses of computer and electronic communications/data transmissions.
Content Warning
There are wide varieties of information available on the Internet. Some individuals may find some information on the Internet offensive or otherwise objectionable. Individual users should be aware that the SHA has no control over, and therefore cannot be responsible for, the content of information available on the Internet.
Public Domain Material
Any user may download public domain programs for business related purposes, or may redistribute a public domain program non-commercially but does so with the knowledge that by doing so, he or she also assume all of the risks regarding the determination of whether or not a program is in the public domain.
SHA reserves the right to monitor and log all network activity including e-mail, with or without notice, and therefore users should have no expectation of privacy in the use of these resources.