Brokerage World Wide Web Policy
Posted by PRO Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:46:00 GMT
THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED BY THE PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION AS A SAMPLE TOOL AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE, OR A SUBSTITUTE FOR SPECIFIC LEGAL ADVICE OR OPINIONS. THE USER OF THIS SAMPLE DOCUMENT SHOULD NOT ACT OR REFRAIN FROM ACTING, OR USE THIS DOCUMENT WITHOUT CONSULTING LEGAL COUNSEL. THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC LEGAL AND BUSINESS NEEDS OF THE USER AND THEIR WEBSITE.
World Wide Web / Instant Messaging Use Policy
1.0 Overview
Use of the World Wide Web and Instant Messaging (IM) create a high risk for organizational security. This policy is created to protect employees, partners and the company from illegal or damaging actions by individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly.
2.0 Purpose
To provide guidelines for use of the World Wide Web and Instant Messaging applications.
3.0 Scope
This policy covers all computer and communication devices owned or operated by ABC REALTY or using the ABC REALTY network.
4.0 Policy
4.1 World Wide Web use
Software for browsing the Internet is provided to employees primarily for business use.
Employees must only use approved software to access the Internet, and software configurations must not be changed by employees without manager approval, including installation of browser plug-ins and Active-X controls.
Any personal use must not interfere with normal business activities, must not involve solicitation, must not be associated with any for-profit outside business activity, and must not potentially embarrass the company.
The Internet, including the World Wide Web should not be used for the following purposes:
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the creation or transmission (other than for properly supervised and lawful research purposes) of any offensive, obscene or indecent images, data or other material, or any data capable of being resolved into obscene or indecent images or material. Internet users are prohibited from transmitting or downloading material that is obscene, pornographic, threatening, or racially or sexually harassing.
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the creation or transmission of material which is designed or likely to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety;
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the creation or transmission of defamatory material;
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the transmission of material that infringes on copyright;
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other illegal acts.
Employees must not download and install executable files from the Internet unless that download is required for performance of their job, and in that case programs should only be downloaded from trusted sources, and only with extreme caution.
Employees should not post to newsgroups, blogs or other web sites using an ABC REALTY email address or including information that identifies the company – unless that activity is required for job activities and has been approved by a manager. Postings by employees that in any way identify ABC REALTY should contain a disclaimer stating that the opinions expressed are strictly their own and not necessarily those of ABC REALTY, unless posting is in the course of business duties.
Sensitive information about employees, customers, or other ABC REALTY confidential information should never be published to the Internet.
4.1.2 World Wide Web use monitoring
Internet traffic is logged and periodically reviewed. Users should have no expectation of privacy.
4.2 Instant Messaging applications
ABC REALTY supports Instant Messaging (IM) use for job-related activities only. The following statements also apply to IM usage:
A. ABC REALTY only supports the installation and usage of approved IM clients, including: <TBD by Broker>
B. All policies and guidelines pertaining to email content also apply to IM, including, but not exclusive to, policies regarding solicitation, obscenity, harassment, pornography, sensitive information, and attachments.
C. Usernames should be appropriate for a professional environment, and selected in good taste. Management will determine if company-standard account naming is appropriate.
4.2.1 Instant Messaging security
Instant Messaging, like any other type of software that utilizes network connectivity, has the potential for security-related issues. Most IM traffic is sent in clear text, that is, not encrypted. The following statements apply to IM security:
A. To maintain security of ABC REALTY network usernames and passwords, IM users must choose an IM username/password combination that differs from their login ID and password for the ABC REALTY network.
B. Sensitive data such as usernames, passwords, Social Security Numbers, and account numbers that is passed via IM could possibly be read by parties other than the intended recipient(s). Clear text traffic also makes IM vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, where a malicious third party intercepts and possibly manipulates IM traffic. Transferring sensitive data over IM is forbidden.
C. Users should install the most up-to-date version of approved IM clients, including any security-related updates or patches that may apply.
D. Many IM clients provide for peer-to-peer file sharing, which may include functionality that allows other IM users to view and download files from the host computer. Peer-to-peer file sharing is not allowed through the ABC REALTY network. ABC REALTY employees are to disable file sharing features that allow other IM users to obtain information about files or directories stored on the employee’s computer, i.e. IM clients should not function as peer-to-peer file sharing servers.
E. Many IM clients provide for person-to-person file transfers. This is, in nature, similar to sending an e-mail attachment. All policies and guidelines pertaining to email attachments also apply to file transfer via IM.
F. IM can make a user’s computer vulnerable to denial of service (DoS) attacks. A DoS attack is where one or more remote computers attempt to disable a computer by flooding it with network traffic. IM users should configure their IM clients in such a way that they do not receive messages from unauthorized users (often phrased like, “Only accept incoming messages from users on my Buddy List”).
4.2.2 Instant Messaging monitoring
IM traffic is logged and periodically reviewed. Users should have no expectation of privacy.
5.0 Enforcement
Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
6.0 Definitions
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Term
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Definition
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Instant Messaging (IM)
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IM is a tool like e-mail that allows a form of text-based communication from one person or persons to another. It operates on a real-time basis, meaning that as long as the required parties are connected to an IM server, each party is able to see the connection status of the other and communicate with them almost instantly. Like a phone conversation, IM allows users to “chat” back and forth in real-time.
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7.0 Revision History