CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
Policy & Procedure
INTERNET USAGE
DATE:
Approved:
I. PURPOSE
To establish a policy regarding the use of the Internet for the City of Signal Hill.
II. DEFINITIONS
City: The City of Signal Hill, California.
City Business: Information relating to the conduct of the public’s business or communications concerning matters within the subject matter of the City’s jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, pending or potential City projects, past or prospective City agenda items, or City budgets or expenditures involving City funds.
Internet: The City-provided connection to the electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities.
Official(s): Any elected or appointed City Councilmember or commissioner sitting on a City legislative body. Officials shall also include the City Clerk and the City Treasurer.
User(s): Any City Officials, employees (full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal), volunteers, contractors, consultants, vendors and other persons at the City, including all personnel affiliated with third parties who have access and/or authorization to use the Internet for City Business.
III. POLICY
Official City Business conducted via the Internet shall comply with all statutory requirements as well as standards for integrity, accountability, and legal sufficiency. Thus, official City Business conducted via the Internet should meet or exceed the standards of performance for traditional methods (such as meetings, use of telephone, etc.) and promote a professional image for the City.
Access to the Internet shall be limited to Users whose positions require using the Internet to send or retrieve information. It is important that the management of each department closely evaluates the need for approving access to the Internet, and make recommendations to the City Manager. The City Manager or his/her designee shall determine which positions are authorized for Internet access. Those Users will be given a copy of this policy and will be required to sign the “User Agreement for Internet Services” form (Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference) before access to the Internet will be allowed.
Use of the Internet is restricted to official City Business. Personal use of the Internet or time spent on the Internet for personal gain is strictly prohibited. No Internet User shall represent himself/herself as someone else. Sending a message anonymously is prohibited. Internet Users shall not send, post or provide access to any confidential City materials or information.
In order to protect the City’s interest, the Information Systems staff has purchased software for the specific use of monitoring and logging individual use of the Internet. It would be the City’s intent to use this information to ensure that individual use of the Internet is for City Business, and the City may use such software to restrict access to certain sites. The supervision of Internet use is the responsibility of each individual’s supervisor. Failure to use the Internet for authorized purposes will lead to immediate removal of Internet access and may result in further disciplinary action, including but not limited to termination (for City employees), censure (for City Officials), and/or breach of contract (for City consultants). The City reserves its right to enforce any and all remedies.
Data and software may be subject to the Federal copyright laws. Care should be exercised whenever accessing or copying any information that does not belong to the User.
Downloading a file from the Internet can bring viruses with it. Files should be downloaded only when absolutely necessary and from government or corporate web sites. Every Internet User is obligated to cooperate with any investigation regarding the use of his/her computer equipment and which the Department Head has authorized.
If information from an Internet site is to be used for strategic City Business decisions, the User shall verify the integrity of that information. The User shall verify whether the site is updated on a regular basis (the lack of revision date might indicate out-of-date information) and that it is a valid provider of the information the User is seeking.
The City has no control or responsibility for content on an external server not under the control of the City of Signal Hill. Information on the Internet may be offensive and/or unsuitable for dissemination.
All Users shall comply with any and all other applicable City policies, rules, and regulations, including, but not limited to, the City’s Social Media Policy and the City’s Electronic Mail Policy.
Exhibit A
City of Signal Hill
User Agreement for Internet Services
I have read, understand, and agree to abide by the City’s Internet Usage Policy and the following additional terms and conditions that govern my use of these services.
Access to the Internet is granted to me for the sole purpose of fulfilling the duties and responsibilities associated with my most recent job description. Below are some specific examples for which I will use the Internet:
I will not knowingly allow access to the Internet to any other individual who does not have written approval for Internet access.
I understand that my actions on the Internet can and will be monitored in terms of time used and sites visited and that such information will be made available to my supervisor at his/her request to ensure I am using the Internet for approved business reasons.
I understand that unauthorized use and copy of copyrighted materials and software may be illegal and I will refrain from such actions. Only software approved by the Information Systems Manager is allowed on any City computer. In order to avoid computer viruses, I will limit the downloading of data or information to only when necessary and only from formal government or corporate web sites.
By signing this agreement, I certify that I understand the terms and conditions of this agreement and the City’s policy, and I accept responsibility for adhering to the agreement. I also understand that any infractions on my part will result in disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, termination of Internet access privileges.
Name (printed): __________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________ Date: ________________
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