Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at IIT

• A computer account is to be used only by the authorized user of the account.

• Your APCIS computer account is to be used only to support the completion of your assigned duties as an APCIS employee.

• Account passwords:

  • The passwords for accounts which are assigned to your are not to be given to any other person.

  • You are responsible for changing your passwords in accordance with the security policies of Texas A&M University.

  • In general, you will not request a customer to disclose his/her password to you. If the requested service is impossible to provide without the customer's password, then the customer must change the password as soon as the APCIS employee has completed the requested service.

• Restrictions associated with the computer account authorized for your use will be followed.

• Programs, files, E-mail, or data belonging to others will not be accessed, altered, or copied without prior authorization from the owner. In general, this authorization must be in writing. Routine maintenance is exempted from this requirement. In most cases where system integrity is an issue, immediate intervention may be taken. Such intervention is to be limited in its scope and is to be reported to the appropriate APCIS director as soon as practical.

• In those cases where University Police, other police, or other appropriate agencies request access in conjunction with an investigation, the request should be in writing and reported to the appropriate APCIS director as soon as practical.

• Software license and copyright conditions:

  • APCIS employees must be aware of and comply with software license and copyright conditions.

  • Texas A&M University licenses software from a variety of companies. In general, Texas A&M University does not own this software or related documentation and, unless authorized by the software owner, does not have reproduction rights.

  • Texas A&M University purchases software, or the right to use software, from a variety of companies. The copyrights for the software and documentation must be respected.

  • With regard to use on local area networks or on multiple machines, APCIS employees shall use the software only in accordance with the license agreement.

  • APCIS employees shall not be party to unauthorized use or copying of software.

• Information concerning customers and their applications is to be treated as privileged information and will not be discussed except as necessary to perform your assigned duties.

• Sensitive information on the security of operating system procedures will not be divulged to anyone without a demonstrated need-to-know.

APCIS employees are cautioned that any violation of the computer ethics standards in this document may be grounds for disciplinary action. Depending on the seriousness of the violation such actions may include termination of employment, financial restitution for unauthorized use of services, and misdemeanor or felony charges in a court of law.

Staff and faculty employees are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the regulations and responsibilities as published in the Staff and Faculty Handbook. Student employees are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Texas A&M University Regulations.