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Yakima County, WA
Internet Access Policy

1. Policy Introduction

It is the policy of Yakima County to encourage effective and efficient use of all County equipment for completion of county business. This includes use of the Internet for County employees: to provide information to County residents, businesses and other governmental agencies; to search for information; and, for information exchange.

1. A. Policy Discussion

With the widespread use of the Internet as an information exchange medium, employees are able to access data that exists on the World Wide Web. Along with this access to the Web comes the potential for abuse. The intention of this policy is to outline issues regarding access, and to set out the rules to be followed for Internet access.

1. B. Definitions

As used in this policy, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

1. B. 1. "Internet" is thousands of interconnected networks originally developed by the military and referred to as the Internet, the Information Super Highway, the Net or similar names.

2. Statement of Policy

The following Statements are the intentions and use of the policy.

2. A. Accesses to the Internet

Employees are not to use their personal Internet accounts during work hours or use County equipment to reach personal sites. Internet access is limited to business purposes only. Information Services will remove Internet access for any employee for violation of this policy after contacting the Elected Official or Department Head.

2. B. Access Reporting

It is the responsibility of the Elected Official or Department Head to monitor and audit use of the Internet within the department. Much like the County telephone system, there is the potential for employee abuse of the system. Information Services will monitor and record user access to the Internet and provide the Elected Official or Department Head with information that can be used to track access to all Internet sites on a regular basis.

2. C. Downloading Files

Files are not to be downloaded from the Internet without express consent by the employee's Elected Official or Department Head. The possibility of downloading a file with a computer virus is great and care must be taken not to contaminate any computers in the County. Files downloaded from the Internet, or any other outside service, must be scanned by a virus checking software prior to being used on a County computer. Elected Officials or Department Heads can contact Information Services for options available for virus checking of downloaded files.

2. D. Uploading Files

Files are not to be uploaded to the Internet without express consent by the employee's Elected Official or Department Head. Files uploaded to the Internet have the possibility of being intercepted by others and used against the County's interest.

2. E. Prohibited Uses of the Internet

2. E. 1. Commercial use - any form of commercial use of the Internet is prohibited.

2. E. 2. Copyright violations - any use of the Internet that violates copyright laws is prohibited.

2. E. 3. Solicitation - the purchase or sale of personal items through advertising on the Internet is prohibited.

2. E. 4. Harassment - the use of the Internet to harass employees, vendors, customers, and others is prohibited.

2. E. 5. Political - the use of the Internet for political purposes is prohibited.

2. E. 6. Aliases - the use of aliases while using the Internet is prohibited. Anonymous messages are not to be sent. Also, the misrepresentation of an employee's job title, job description, or position in the County is prohibited.

2. E. 7. Misinformation/Confidential Information - the release of untrue, distorted, or confidential information regarding County business is prohibited.

2. E. 8. Viewing/Downloading of Non-Business Related Information - the accessing, viewing, downloading, or any other method for retrieving non-County related information is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, entertainment sites or pornographic sites.

2. F. Legal Issues

2. F. 1. Copyrights - most of the information available on the Internet is copyrighted. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute copyrighted information regardless of its source. It is the Elected Official or Department Head's responsibility to ensure that copyrighted information is not misused by the employees. Violation of copyright laws endanger the County and legal remedies include large fines.

2. F. 2. Discrimination - harassing messages, derogatory comments, or other forms of discrimination based upon race, sex, religion, or creed is against the law. It is the Elected Official or Department Manager's responsibility to ensure that employees do not engage in discriminatory behavior while accessing the Internet. Violation of discrimination laws include fines and jail time.

2. F. 3. Privacy - an employee's rights while accessing the Internet by use of County property does not include the right to privacy. The County reserves the express right to monitor, in any way, the activities of the employee while accessing the Internet. Violation of County policy regarding Internet use may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Court cases have upheld a business' right to monitor and discipline employees based upon electronic activities which are prohibited by a company's policy.