 |
Internet Use Policy: |
Background
The Internet and email are becoming increasingly important to the way we do our business and communicate both internally and externally. Familiarity and skill in using these systems will become more important for the way we work in the future. This policy assists everyone to use these tools in a proper and effective manner for the benefit of both the individual and the Company.
Scope
This policy applies to all employees and to contractors or other 3rd parties who are using Boots systems. It is the responsibility of line managers to ensure that all of the people for whom they are responsible have access to a copy of the policy. Anyone supervising a visitor using Boots systems is responsible for ensuring the visitor abides by Company policy.
Failure to comply with the policy will be (and has been) treated as a disciplinary offence and will be dealt with using the normal Company disciplinary procedure, up to and including dismissal.
If you are aware of any misuse of Company facilities or know of a failing in the Company's security measures then you should contact either your line manager or your IT Help Desk to report it. More general computer security rules can be found in The Computer Users Security Guide found on Storenet.
'Confidential' information
This policy refers to 'confidential' information, which includes:
Personal information, such as financial details, health records, and home addresses. Commercially sensitive information, such as business plans, product details, agreements and pricing arrangements with suppliers, or reports on financial performance.
1. General Conditions
- As with access to any Company computer facilities, Internet access and email must be agreed by your line manager, and may only be used by authorised users. Access is usually controlled through an individual user id and password.
- Remember that all activity related to your user id will be attributed to you.
- Company computer facilities are provided for the benefit of the business. Your primary use of Internet and email resources should be for legitimate business activities and your professional development.
- Personal use is at the discretion of your line manager, but in general a limited amount is acceptable provided it does not interfere with Company business, your own duties and does not break any other Company rules. Any personal use is carried out at your own risk and the Company cannot guarantee the privacy of what you do.
- Email messages can go astray or be intercepted by 'hackers'. In general, company confidential information should not be sent via external email. If it is essential to do so then you must ensure that it is adequately protected from unauthorised interception. Protection can be provided by password protecting most files where encryption software is not available to you. However, you should ensure that you choose strong passwords (see the IT Security Intranet site for help in choosing good passwords).
- Some types of use create an excessive number of messages, slow the system for all users or expose our system to viruses. Therefore:
- You must not use a Company email address to subscribe to non-business mailing lists, such as joke of the day, football club updates, share news etc. or to install or circulate non-business graphics, audio, video files or software, for example animations, games or music files.
- You must not forward chain letters, jokes, virus alerts etc to other users.
- If you use the Internet for personal shopping, please use your home delivery address. Personal goods must not be delivered to Company premises.
2. Legal Issues
- Email carries the same legal status as other written communications, and therefore needs the same level of care for accuracy and should conform to normal business standards of communication. Emails must not include any inaccurate or defamatory statements, nor should you represent your own views as being those of the Company.
- Email can only be used to communicate contractual arrangements or financial transactions involving the Company where you are specifically authorised to do so.
- Copyright or a licence agreement generally applies to software, text and graphics on the Internet. It is your responsibility to make sure that any material you use falls under the terms and conditions of use and any fees due are paid. You might breach these by downloading or reproducing the material and YOU could be prosecuted or sued for damages.
- If any illegal activity is identified then the police and/or other relevant law enforcement bodies will be contacted.
3. Misuse
All the following activities are expressly prohibited and may be treated as gross misconduct under the Company's disciplinary procedures:
- Browsing, downloading, or circulation of illegal, offensive, obscene, threatening, intimidating or harassing material e.g. explicit nudity, pornography, racist/sexist jokes, cruelty.
- The circulation of any material intended to harass the recipient.
- Gaining or attempting to gain unauthorised access to any kind of network, service, information or computer system or damaging their integrity in any way.
- Disabling or attempting to disable any security mechanisms, including virus scanning.
- Downloading, installing or circulating software unless you are authorised to do so.
4. Monitoring
We monitor the usage of our computer systems and networks for capacity planning purposes and to ensure compliance with Company policies. As a result there is no right of privacy when using Company computer systems. However we will only carry out detailed monitoring or reviews of individual accounts where there is sufficient evidence requiring further investigation. This will be as the result of a complaint, routine reporting exception, policy compliance check, or at the request of a line manager or a law enforcement body.
The following activities may take place if further investigation is required:
- The interception of email messages including reading their content.
- Direct access to a user account and/or computer to look at personal file storage, email and browser activity.
- We also reserve the right to access your account to gain access to information in your absence, such as when you are ill or unable to get to work. This type of access will be done under the authority of your line manager.
- When there is sufficient information to suggest that Company computer facilities have been used in breach of the rules then this will be passed on to the relevant line manager for discussion with the individual concerned. These issues will then be dealt with according to the Company's usual disciplinary procedures.
5. Preventing Problems
- To protect our systems we block all known viruses, and we also endeavour to block spam (unsolicited mails) and inappropriate content. However it is impossible to totally guarantee the safety or acceptability of all the email the company receives, so you should be aware of the following:
- IT Security have an e-mail account to which you can forward any spam e-mails you receive so that they can be blocked. These should be forwarded to boots spam_report@boots and you can then delete the e-mails from your 'inbox' and 'sent' folders.
- On rare occasions e-mails can be received which are abusive, harassing or generally of a disturbing nature. If you receive such an e-mail please do not delete or forward the e-mail. Instead report the incident to your IT Help Desk.
- If you receive something you think in any other way suspicious - for example an email that is unsolicited or on an unusual subject - please do not open any attachments, and contact your IT Help Desk for advice immediately.
- Please do not forward email chain letters to other users. These are hoaxes designed to clog up mail systems and waste your time. They often include superficially convincing warnings about viruses or may offer you free gifts or other incentives if you "forward the message to all your friends". Needless to say, you never receive the free gift. Instead, please forward a single copy to your IT Help Desk and then delete the originals.
|
|
|
|
|
