1.0 Purpose
The computing resources at Prince Sultan University
support the educational, instructional, research, and
administrative activities of the University and the use
of these resources is a privilege that is extended to
members of the Prince Sultan community. As a user of
these services and facilities, you have access to
valuable University resources, to sensitive data, and to
internal and external networks. Consequently, it is
important for you to behave in a responsible, ethical,
and legal manner.
In general, appropriate use means respecting the rights
of other computer users, the integrity of the physical
facilities and all pertinent license and contractual
agreements. If an individual is found in violation of
the Acceptable Use Policy, the University will take
disciplinary action, including the restriction and
possible loss of network privileges. Individuals are
also subject to federal, state and local laws governing
many interactions that occur on the Internet. These
policies and laws are subject to change as state and
federal laws develop and change.
This document establishes specific requirements for the
use of all computing and network resources at Prince
Sultan University.
2.0 Scope
This policy applies to all users of computing resources
owned or managed by Prince Sultan University.
Individuals covered by the policy include (but are not
limited to) Prince Sultan faculty and visiting faculty,
staff, students, alumni, guests or agents of the
administration, external individuals and organizations
accessing network services via Prince Sultan's computing
facilities.
Computing resources include all university owned,
licensed, or managed hardware and software, and use of
the university network via a physical or wireless
connection, regardless of the ownership of the computer
or device connected to the network.
These policies apply to technology administered in
individual departments, the resources administered by
central administrative departments (such as the
University Computing and Information Services),
personally owned computers and devices connected by wire
or wireless to the campus network, and to off-campus
computers that connect remotely to the University's
network services.
2.1 Your Rights and Responsibilities
As a member of the University community, the university
provides you with the use of scholarly and/or
work-related tools, including access to the Library, to
certain computer systems, servers, software and
databases and to the Internet. You have a reasonable
expectation of unobstructed use of these tools, of
certain degrees of privacy (which may vary depending on
whether you are a University employee or a matriculated
student), and of protection from abuse and intrusion by
others sharing these resources. You can expect your
right to access information and to express your opinion
to be protected as it is for paper and other forms of
non-electronic communication.
In turn, you are responsible for knowing the regulations
and policies of the University that apply to appropriate
use of the University's technologies and resources. You
are responsible for exercising good judgment in the use
of the University's technological and information
resources. Just because an action is technically
possible does not mean that it is appropriate to perform
that action.
As a representative of the Prince Sultan University
community, you are expected to respect the University's
good name in your electronic dealings with those outside
the University.
3.0 Policy
3.1 Acceptable Use • You may use only the computers, computer accounts,
and computer files for which you have authorization.
• You may not use another individual's account, or
attempt to capture or guess other users' passwords.
• You are individually responsible for appropriate use
of all resources assigned to you, including the
computer, the network address or port, software and
hardware. Therefore, you are accountable to the
University for all use of such resources. As an
authorized Prince Sultan University user of resources,
you may not enable unauthorized users to access the
network by using a Prince Sultan computer or a personal
computer that is connected to the Prince Sultan network.
• You should make a reasonable effort to protect your
passwords and to secure resources against unauthorized
use or access. You must configure hardware and software
in a way that reasonably prevents unauthorized users
from accessing Prince Sultan's network and computing
resources.
• You must not attempt to access restricted portions of
the network, an operating system, security software or
other administrative applications without appropriate
authorization by the system owner or administrator.
• You must comply with the policies and guidelines for
any specific set of resources to which you have been
granted access. When other policies are more restrictive
than this policy, the more restrictive policy takes
precedence.
• You must not develop or use programs that disrupt
other computer or network users or that damage software
or hardware components of a system.
• Do not download and/or use tools that are normally
used to assess security or to attack computer systems or
networks (i.e. password "crackers", vulnerability
scanners, network snuffers, etc.) unless you have been
specifically authorized to do so by IT Security in CIS.
3.2 Adherence State and Local Laws As a member of the Prince Sultan University
community, you are expected to uphold local ordinances
and state and law. Some Prince Sultan University
guidelines related to use of technologies derive from
that concern, including laws regarding license and
copyright, and the protection of intellectual property.
As a user of Prince Sultan's computing and network
resources you must:
• Abide by all state and local laws.
• Abide by all applicable copyright laws and licenses.
Prince Sultan University has entered into legal
agreements or contracts for many of our software and
network resources, which require each individual using
them to comply with those agreements.
• Observe the copyright law as it applies to music,
videos, games, images, texts and other media in both
personal use and in production of electronic
information. The ease with which electronic materials
can be copied, modified and sent over the Internet makes
electronic materials extremely vulnerable to
unauthorized access, invasion of privacy and copyright
infringement.
• Do not use, copy, or distribute copyrighted works
(including but not limited to Web page graphics, sound
files, film clips, trademarks, software and logos)
unless you have a legal right to use, copy, distribute,
or otherwise exploit the copyrighted work. Doing so may
provide the basis for disciplinary action, civil
litigation and criminal prosecution.
3.3 Other Inappropriate Activities Use Prince Sultan's computing facilities and
services for those activities that are consistent with
the educational, research and public service mission of
the University. Other prohibited activities include:
• Activities that would jeopardize the University's
image.
• Use of Prince Sultan's computing services and
facilities for political or personal economic gain.
3.4 Privacy & Personal Rights • All users of the university's network and
computing resources are expected to respect the privacy
and personal rights of others.
• Do not access or copy another user's email, data,
programs, or other files without permission.
• Be professional and respectful when using computing
systems to communicate with others; the use of computing
resources to libel, slander, or harass any other person
is not allowed and could lead to university discipline
as well as legal action by those who are the recipient
of these actions.
While the University does not generally monitor or limit
content of information transmitted on the campus
network, it reserves the right to access and review such
information under certain conditions. These include:
investigating performance deviations and system problems
(with reasonable cause), determining if an individual is
in violation of this policy, or, as may be necessary,
for the business needs of the University. Access to
files on University owned equipment will only be
approved by specific personnel when there is a valid
reason to access those files. Authority to access user
files can only come from the Chairman of CIS in
conjunction with the Provost and the General Counsel.
External law enforcement agencies and Public Safety may
request access to files through subpoenas and other
legal processes. All such requests must be approved by
the General Counsel. Information obtained in this manner
can be admissible in legal proceedings or in a
University hearing.
3.4.1 Privacy in Email You should not expect email privacy when connected
to the Prince Sultan University network. University
staff may inadvertently be exposed to email in the
course of their work. In cases where information is
inadvertently exposed, staffs are required to keep the
contents confidential. Remember that email is easily
redistributed and may be read by people beyond the
original recipient list.
3.4.2 Important Notice for Employees (Faculty and
Staff): Electronic information systems and network services
are made available for use by employees to conduct
University business. Subject to applicable laws, the
University, through its authorized officers, reserves
and retains the right to access and inspect stored
information without the consent of the user. Users are
advised that electronic data (and communications using
the University network for transmission or storage) may
be reviewed and/or accessed by authorized University
officials for purposes related to University business.
The University has the authority to access and inspect
the contents of any University equipment, files or email
on its systems. If such circumstances arise where files
(including email) are not accessible to authorized
University officers due to circumstances such as
unexpected absence, death, or termination of employment,
the President of Computing and Information Services will
review a request by an authorized University official
and, if appropriate, authorize the specific access as
necessary.
3.4.3 Email • You should not expect email privacy when connected
to the Prince Sultan University network. CIS staff may
inadvertently be exposed to email in the course of their
work. In cases where information is inadvertently
exposed, CIS personnel are required to keep the contents
confidential.
• Remember that email is easily redistributed and may be
read by people beyond the original recipient list.
• All postscripts should be limited to providing what is
commonly known as signature information about the sender
(name, title, contact information, address, and
statements regarding confidentiality of the
communication).
3.5 User Compliance When you use University computing services, and
accept any University issued computing accounts, you
agree to comply with this and all other computing
related policies. You have the responsibility to keep
up-to-date on changes in the computing environment, as
published, using University electronic and print
publication mechanisms, and to adapt to those changes as
necessary.
