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Nebraska Supreme Court
Acceptable Use Policy for Computer and Internet Use

1.0
Standard

1.1
Application and Intent

This policy shall apply to all judicial officers and employees using the State Data
Communications Network (SDCN), the Nebraska Supreme Court Network
(NSCN), and Removable Media. It is intended to provide minimum standards for
acceptable use, including clarification of uses which are consistent or inconsistent
with this policy.

All use of the State Data Communications Network and/or the Nebraska Supreme
Court Network (such as Internet logs and e-mail) by judicial officers and
employees is the property of the State of Nebraska and is subject to applicable
Nebraska Supreme Court rules and policies, and State and Federal laws, such as
public record laws of the State of Nebraska as applicable. End users should not
have any expectations of privacy regarding personal business conducted on the
State Data Communications Network and/or the Nebraska Supreme Court
Network unless protected by State or Federal law.

Use of the SDCN and/or the NSCN shall be consistent with the goals of:
Simplifying and disseminating information;
Encouraging collaborative projects and sharing of resources;
Aiding technology transfer within and outside the State of Nebraska;
Fostering innovation and competitiveness within Nebraska;
Building broader infrastructure in support of the performance of professional
work-related activities.

1.2
Acceptable Uses of the SDCN and/or the NSCN:

1.
To provide and simplify communications with other state agencies, units
of government, and citizens.
2.
To communicate and exchange professional development information,
including online discussion or debate of issues in a field of knowledge.
3.
To exchange communications in conjunction with professional
associations, advisory committees, standards activities, or other purposes
related to the users professional capacity.
4.

To apply for or administer grants or contracts for work-related
applications.
5.
To carry out regular administrative communications in direct support of
work-related functions.
6.
To announce new products or services within the scope of work-related
applications.
7.
To access databases or files for purposes of work-related reference or
research material.
8.
To post work-related questions or to share work-related information.
Nebraska Supreme Court
Acceptable Use Policy for Computer and Internet Use
Effective 3/29/06; Revised June 7, 2006


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9.
To communicate to children, teachers, doctors, day care centers,
babysitters, or other family members to inform them of unexpected
schedule changes, and for other essential personal business. The use of the
States telecommunications systems for essential personal business shall
be kept to a minimum and shall not interfere with the conduct of state
business.

1.3
Unacceptable Uses of the SDCN and/or the NSCN:

Unacceptable uses of the SDCN and/or the NSCN subject to remedial action (see
Section 1.6), include, but are not limited to the following:

1.
Violation of the privacy of other users and their data. For example, users
shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify
files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users, or represent
themselves as another user unless explicitly authorized to do so by that
user.
2.
Violation of the legal protection provided by copyright and licensing laws
applied to programs and data. It is assumed that information and resources
available via the SDCN and/or the NSCN are private to those individuals
and organizations owning or holding rights to such information and
resources, unless specifically stated otherwise by the owners or holders, or
unless such information and resources clearly fall within the statutory
definition of a public record. It is unacceptable for an individual to use the
SDCN and/or the NSCN to gain access to information or resources not
considered a public record without the granting of permission to do so by
the owners or holders of rights to such information or resources.
3.
Downloading or installation of unauthorized software or hardware in
violation of license agreements.
4.
Violation of the integrity of computing systems. For example, users shall
not intentionally develop programs that harass other users or infiltrate a
computer or computing system and/or damage or alter the software
components of a computer or computing system.
5.
Use of the SDCN and/or the NSCN for fund-raising or public relations
activities unrelated to an individuals employment with the Nebraska
Supreme Court.
6.
Use inconsistent with laws, Nebraska Supreme Court rules and policies,
regulations, or accepted community standards. Transmission of material in
violation of any local, state, or federal law or regulation is prohibited. It is
not acceptable to transmit or knowingly receive threatening, obscene, or
harassing material.
7.
Malicious or disruptive use, including use of the SDCN and/or the NSCN
or any attached network in a manner that precludes or significantly
hampers its use by others. Disruptions include, but are not limited to,
distribution of unsolicited advertising, propagation of computer worms or
viruses, and use of the SDCN and/or the NSCN to make unauthorized
entry to any other machine accessible via the network.
Nebraska Supreme Court
Acceptable Use Policy for Computer and Internet Use
Effective 3/29/06; Revised June 7, 2006


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8.
Unsolicited advertising, except for announcement of new products or
services as described in item No. 6 under Acceptable Uses.
9.
Use of the SDCN and/or the NSCN for recreational games.
10.
Use in conjunction with for-profit activities, unless such activities are
stated as a specific acceptable use.
11.
Use for private or personal business ventures such as second sources of
income, other family member personal business interests, et cetera.
12.
Misrepresentation of ones self, the Nebraska Supreme Court, or the State
of Nebraska when using the SDCN and/or the NSCN.

1.4
Acceptable Uses of Removable Media (applicable only to users of the NSCN
employees or officers of the appellate courts and administrative employees)
In order to prevent damage, compromise, or loss of data, the following mandatory
restrictions will apply to the use of all removable media:

1.
Only Nebraska Supreme Court owned or leased and managed removable
media shall be used within the NSCN. No personal, non-Nebraska
Supreme Court, or other unauthorized removable media may be used
within the NSCN system.
2.
It is not permissible to use Nebraska Supreme Court owned or leased
media on personal computers or other devices that do not have an official
connection to the NSCN unless authorized by the Nebraska Supreme
Court's Information Technology Services.
3.
Removable media should only be used to transport or store data when
other more secure means, for example, NSCN e-mail system or network-
shared folders, are not available.
4.
Removable media will only be used to store or transport data for such
purposes of direct support of work-related functions, work-related
reference, and/or research material.
5.
All removable media is to be afforded the same level of physical
protection as the most sensitive material stored thereon. All removable
media should be stored in a safe, secure environment at all times. Users
will ensure that all removable media checked out to them will be secured
discretely, carried in a closed container, and not in public view where it
can attract attention.
6.
On-Access anti-virus and authorization scanner controls will be
configured on all servers and workstations attached to the NSCN to check
for removable media devices. Rather than scanning whole systems, on-
access scanners will scan files and other removable media and their
associated drives when they are accessed. Access is not allowed to such
objects until the scanner has verified the device is authorized and virus
free.
7.
When transferring data from outside of the NSCN, extreme caution must
be taken, as the potential impact of malicious software attacks on the
NSCN system could be severe. All data is to be scanned by the on-access
scanner prior to transfer.
8.
Any loss or theft of any item of removable media must be reported
immediately to the Nebraska Supreme Court's Information Technology
Nebraska Supreme Court
Acceptable Use Policy for Computer and Internet Use
Effective 3/29/06; Revised June 7, 2006


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Services so that the level of compromise can be assessed and necessary
efforts can be made for recovery.
9.
If any item of removable media is no longer required, it must be destroyed
by approved secure means. This is only to be carried out by the Nebraska
Supreme Court's Information Technology Services.

1.5
Unacceptable Uses of Removable Media (applicable only to users of the NSCN
employees or officers of the appellate courts and administrative employees)

Unacceptable uses of Nebraska Supreme Court owned or leased removable media
to store and/or move data, subject to remedial action (see section 1.6), include, but
are not limited to the following:

1.
Violation of the privacy of others and their data. For example, users shall
not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files,
other data, or passwords belong