Computer Use Policy

Marion Military Institute (MMI) provides computing resources and worldwide network access to members of the MMI electronic community for legitimate academic and administrative pursuits to communicate, access knowledge, and retrieve and disseminate information.  All members of the MMI community (faculty, staff, cadets, and authorized guests) sharing these resources also share the rights and responsibilities for their use.

MMI bears the responsibility and has the authority to allocate or otherwise limit access to computer and network resources in order to ensure their most effective and economical use.

For legal purposes, all network usage is monitored and electronically stored.

MMI may examine electronic information stored on or passing over college equipment or networks, for the following purposes: to ensure security and operating performance of its computer systems and networks; to enforce MMI’s policies or compliance with state or federal law where examination is approved in advance by a dean, vice president, or the president, and either there is reasonable suspicion that a law or MMI policy has been violated and examination is appropriate to investigate the apparent violation, or examination is necessary to comply with state or federal law. Computer users should have no expectation of privacy in material sent, received, or stored by them on or over MMI computing systems or networks.

Network management and protection appliances are in place to enforce computer policies and maximize bandwidth usage among all users.

It is the Cadet’s responsibility to make sure that his/her computer has the latest security updates and Anti-virus protection.

Sophos and AVG Free are proven anti-virus/anti-malware software and are available for downloaded free of charge.

Guidelines for Users

1. A user should avoid actions that may make themselves or MMI criminally or civilly liable to others.
2. A user should not do anything that will impair the operation of computers, terminals, peripherals, or networks.
3. A user should avoid any acts or omissions that might subject him/her to criminal penalties or to civil liability.  Some acts or omissions that may subject him/her to criminal penalties or civil liability may also subject MMI to criminal penalties or civil liability.
4. A user should be aware that, if any other state or federal law makes the user or MMI criminally or civilly liable for certain conduct, the law still applies even if not specifically described herein.  If state or federal law prescribes certain consequences for certain conduct, the user and MMI may suffer those consequences even if they are not described herein.
5. A user should also know that, under law, he/she may be required to reimburse MMI for any amount of money it must pay to another because of injury caused by user conduct.
6. A user is not allowed to install switches, hubs, routers, wireless access points, or any other active or passive network device other than a personal workstation, printer, or a file, print, or applications server.

Use of Networks

Networks are a form of property controlled by agreements between providers and users. Furthermore, public networks are regulated and violating a state or federal regulation may bring criminal or civil penalties.

Use of Software

Computer software is a form of intellectual property controlled by licenses that spell out clearly how it may be used and distributed. Everyone must follow all license provisions regulating the use and distribution of computer software. Use or distribution of software in violation of license provisions may subject the violator to criminal and civil penalties, as well as to civil liability to the licenser.

Security

MMI treats electronically stored information, including personal files, as confidential.  Use of campus e-mail, the Internet, or networks have been subject to criminal, civil, and/or university sanctions at other institutions, which means that the privilege of confidentiality is not absolute, but may be overridden by court order (Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 16 effective Dec 1, 2006).   Information critical to the operation of MMI, regardless of its format, is an asset and measures should be taken to protect this asset from unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure, whether accidental or intentional.  Under Alabama Code 13A-8-102, it is a crime to attempt or achieve access to, communication of, examination of, or modification of, to destroy, or to disclose, use, or take data, computer programs or supporting documentation.

Liable to the penalty of state law, no one may use, transmit, change, or delete another user’s files or software without permission or introduce destructive software, such as programs known as computer viruses, Trojan horses, or worms, into any computer, computer system, or network.

By connecting to the MMI network and logging on with a valid ID and password, each user understands and agrees to abide by these guidelines.

Electronic Mail (e-mail) Protocol

E-mail can be a highly effective method of communication; this protocol checklist provides you the tools!