CSULB Computer Use Policy, Sect. 3
Last Modified: 02 Jul 96
Paper copies of this document are available from the Academic Senate office.
3.
SOME EXAMPLES OF VIOLATIONS
This section of the Policy consists of a list of several activities that
you cannot or should not do. While these are not all of the possible
violations, there are still many more things you can do than things you
can't do. This list is intended to inform you and to reinforce the
principles of fair and responsible computer use that we seek to engender
at CSULB.
Violations of these principles or any attempt to violate these principles
constitutes misuse. Violations include, but are not limited to:
3.1.
Sharing passwords without prior written
authorization from the appropriate system
administrator or designee.
The consequences of sharing your password can be significant for the
system and for you as well. This action leaves you vulnerable to such
things as impersonation by another user.
However, even if you are not concerned about the safety of your own
account and data, you have a responsibility to other users to help
maintain the security of the system. Your responsibility is like that of
a tenant in an apartment building. Though the tenant may not be concerned
about his or her own apartment, feeling that it contains little or
nothing of value, he or she still has a responsibility to the other
tenants to keep the main entrance secure.
3.2.
Unauthorized accessing, using, copying, modifying, or deleting of files,
data, user ids, access rights, usage records, or disk space allocations;
or attempting to modify or remove computer equipment, software, or
peripherals without proper authorization.
You are authorized to access, use, copy, modify, or delete files, data,
or access rights on your own account as specified in the Policy. You are
not authorized to perform any of these functions on another user's
account or a University system unless specifically given permission by
the account holder, your job description, or the appropriate system administrator
or designee.
A person who finds a door to another's home unlocked does not have the
right to enter the home simply because it is unsecured. Similarly, the
fact that someone's account and its data are unprotected does not mean
that you have the right to access it.
3.3.
Accessing resources for purposes other than those for which the access
was originally issued, including inappropriate use of authority or
special privileges.
User privacy is not to be violated; all users are to be protected from
unauthorized activity by a system administrator or other users.
3.4.
Copying or capturing licensed software or other copyrighted material
(other than under the fair-use provision of the Copyright laws) for
use on a system or by an individual for which the software is not
authorized or licensed, or installing software or other copyrighted
material on a system for which it is not authorized or licensed.
CSULB subscribes to the principles expressed in the EDUCOM Guide to the
Ethical and Legal Use of Software. According to U.S. Copyright Law, all
intellectual works are automatically covered by copyright unless
explicitly noted to the contrary. "Unauthorized copying and use of
software deprives publishers and developers of a fair return for their
work, increases prices, reduces the level of future support and
enhancements, and can inhibit the development of new software products."
-- "Using Software: A Guide to the Ethical and Legal Use of Software for
Members of the Academic Community" EDUCOM
U.S. Copyright law applies to all software users. For a copy of the EDUCOM
guidelines, write or call: EDUCOM, 1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 600,
Washington, DC 20036,
(202) 872 - 4200.
CSULB does not condone or authorize the illegal copying or possession of
software or other copyrighted material.
University students and employees are prohibited from copying
software illegally and possessing illegal copies of software, whether for
course-related, job-related, or private use. Any violations of this policy or of
Copyright law are the personal responsibility of the user. The
University will not assume any liability for such acts.
Some software may be in the public domain, for use with no fee
and no restrictions; some software may be available at no charge
but still subject to certain copyright restrictions; some
software may be available as "shareware" for a nominal fee. It
is the user's responsibility to determine if any of these
categories apply to a specific program before copying it, and to
submit any shareware fees and comply with all other restrictions.
If you are in doubt about the status of any program, contact the
appropriate system administrator.
3.5.
Use of computing resources for remote activities that are unauthorized at
the remote site.
For example, if you are accessing another university's system using a
CSULB computing resource, you must follow that school's own computing
rules. Your actions reflect upon the entire CSULB community.
3.6.
Causing computer failure through an intentional attempt to "crash the
system," or through the intentional introduction of a program that is
intended to subvert a system, such as a worm, virus, Trojan horse; a program
that creates a trap door; or any similar method or program.
You have a responsibility to other users to help maintain the security of
the system. The intentional introduction of a subversive program is
considered a grave offense, as are direct, disruptive attacks against
other users or systems, such as mail bombs, spam, blanket, or robot
postings or any other activity that results in serious disruption of any
systems on the Internet.
Taking reasonable precautions is part of your responsibility. If you
accidently launch a process that goes into an infinite loop, consuming
CPU time and/or disk space without limit, kill it immediately. If you
think you may have accidentally introduced a subversive or dangerous
program, contact your local system administrator as soon as possible.
3.7.
Intentional obscuring or forging of the date, time, physical source,
logical source, or other header information of a message or transaction.
Header information of electronic mail, files, and printouts is an
essential part of the identification and documentation of your work.
Forging electronic mail or masking identification information -- for
amusement, personal gain, or other reasons -- is not allowed.
3.8.
Using any computing resource in a way that is harassing or threatening to
another individual.
Users of e-mail and other computer-mediated communications are
part of an "electronic community" in which responsible
citizenship is just as important as it is in other types of
communities. Harassment and intimidation are as irresponsible
and unwelcome in electronic media as they are in face-to-face
contact, and are not permitted.
3.9.
Interception of transmitted information without prior written
authorization from the appropriate system
administrator.
This violation is a serious invasion of another user's privacy and is
analogous to tapping that person's telephone line. The University
respects the right to privacy of all users and endeavors to do all in its
power to maintain that right. You should be aware that sometimes, in the
course of system maintenance, transmissions are tracked, but the contents
are not read. You should also be aware that unauthorized users of the
system are not afforded this same protection from invasion of their
privacy. This means that the University can and will read transmissions
by unauthorized users, to maintain the integrity and security of the
computer resources for all authorized users.
3.10.
Failure to protect one's account from unauthorized use (e.g., leaving
one's terminal publicly logged on but unattended).
When you do not protect your account from unauthorized use, you weaken
the security of not only your account, but the entire system. Keeping
your password secure and attending to your account when logged on are key
means of protection.
3.11.
Using computing resources in any way that is academically
dishonest.
Computer-assisted plagiarism is still plagiarism. Unless
specifically authorized by a class instructor, all of the
following uses of a computer are violations of the University's
guidelines for academic honesty and are punishable as acts of
plagiariam, which is a form of cheating:
- Copying a computer file that contains another student's
assignment and submitting it as your own work
- Copying a computer file that contains another student's
assignment and using it as a model for your own assignment
- Working together on an assignment, sharing the computer files
or programs involved, and then submitting individual copies of
the assignment as your own work
- Knowingly allowing another student to copy or use one of your
computer files and to submit that file, or a modification of it,
as his or her own individual work.
For further information on this topic read the
University Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism; a summary of this policy
may be found in the University Bulletin. (Note: this section is based
on the University of Delaware policy)
3.12.
Violation of priorities for use of computing resources as
established by an individual facility within the CSULB system.
Some CSULB computing facilities may have no usage rules beyond those
given in this brochure. However, many have established priorities or
restrictions for use of computing resources to ensure that scholarly
activities are granted more weight than, for example, recreational game
play and other non-academic pursuits. These priorities must be respected.
3.13.
Participation in activities which undermine other users access to their
fair share of the resources.
Common courtesy should be enough to avoid these problems. Examples of
unreasonable interference include, but are not limited to:
- Playing games for recreation when another user needs the resource for
more scholarly activities.
- Exceeding established disk space, time, or other allocations.
- Intentionally running programs that attempt to execute
endless loops.
- Printing large jobs during periods of heavy computer use.
- Printing multiple copies of a document.
- Printing paper copies when "print preview" on a terminal would suffice.
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