Information Technology Usage Policies
Information Technology Usage Policies
The company to be covered is Lenz Microsystems (A fictional company). It has about 50 full-time employees and 25 part-time employees. The company has also employed casual workers and at times it hires temporary workers to help the working team when there is excess work. The role of IT in the organization includes but not limited to: making business decisions, marketing and business advancement, client support and satisfaction, management of company resources and business expansion. The company is in need of elaborate policies on the usage of Information Technology resources and the policies should cover the usage of electronic mail (e-mail), social media, the internet, mobile computing as well as the appropriate uses and corporate supervision of personal devices.
Employee IT Acceptable Use Policy
The objective of this policy is to summarize the acceptable usage of IT resources at Lenz Microsystems. These policies are created to protect employees as well as the company. This is because insensitive usage exposes the company and the employees to endless threats including hacking of computer systems, virus attacks, legal problems, inter alia. Effectual security is a team endeavor encompassing the contribution and support of every worker and associates who handle information or information systems in an organization. It is the role of every single computer user to be acquainted with these policies, and to carry out their activities appropriately (SHRM, 2014).
Scope
The policies in this document apply to the usage of information, network resources, computing devices, and other related devices to manage business or interaction with company networks and systems, regardless of whether they are owned or leased by Lenz Microsystems, the workers or a third party. All workers and service providers at Lenz Microsystems and its branches are accountable for making good decisions with respect to the suitable use of information, computing devices and network resources in conformity to the company policies and principles and applicable laws and regulations of the state (SHRM, 2014).
Categories to be covered in the Policy
General usage and ownership
Guidelines on proprietary information in computer or other electronic devices
Guidelines on the steps to take in the case of theft of proprietary information
Guidelines on the permission to access proprietary information
Guideline on the use of internet/intranet systems and departmental policies on the same
Guidelines on security and Network maintenance in the company
Rules on auditing of the network to ensure that policies are followed (SHRM, 2014)
Security matters and Proprietary Information
Guidelines on the usage of mobile and computing devices.
Guidelines on the usage of system level and password level passwords
Guideline on the use of emails in the company
Guidelines on how to secure mobile and computing devices in the company (SHRM, 2014).
Unacceptable usage
Generally, these are the proscribed activities in the company. However, company workers may be exempted from these constraints when they are carrying out genuine job tasks. For instance a system administrator in the company may deactivate network access to a specific host incase the host is inhibiting production activities. The following will be covered under unacceptable usage policies (SHRM, 2014):
System and Network Activities
Infringement of personal rights or rights of a copyrighted company
Unsanctioned usage of copyrighted material
Access of external accounts, servers, or data using computers owned by the company
Transfer of software, technical data, or encryption technologies from external source to company computers.
Introduction of harmful programs into the company computers
Unauthorized access to the company computers and information by external users
Dishonest proposals of products and services from the company
Sending of unwanted emails such as junk mails
Harassments through email
Unauthorized use of emails and so on
Social media sites and Blogging
Guidelines to blogging and social media use
Policy Compliance
Exceptions to the policies
Actions on non-compliant employees (SHRM, 2014)
References
SHRM, (2014). Computer, email and internet usage. Retrieved from
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/policies/pages/cms_006400.aspx
