STAFF USE OF PERSONAL/MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

    All staff who use mobile technology in the course of their job duties, including but not limited to cell phones, smart phones, flash drives, tablets, e-readers, laptop computers, scanners, printers, digital cameras, camcorders, PDAs, iPads and iPods, shall abide by this Regulation which governs the use of this type of equipment. Any device that runs software or systems including, but not limited to, Palm OS, Windows, Pocket PC, Android or IOS is considered a "computer" for the purposes of this Regulation. In addition, all applicable language in Policy and Regulation #6410 and #6410R -- Staff Use of Computerized Information Resources and Form #6410F -- Agreement for Staff Use of Computerized Information Resources (AUP) also applies to mobile and personal technology equipment when it is used in conjunction with the District's wireless network, or with data from the District Computing System, or in the course of the staff member's job duties.

Access to confidential data is a privilege afforded to District staff in the performance of their duties. Safeguarding this data is a District responsibility that the Board of Education takes very seriously. Consequently, District employment does not automatically guarantee the initial or ongoing ability to use mobile/personal devices to access the DCS and the information contained therein.
 

Confidentiality and Private Information and Privacy Rights

    Confidential and/or private data, including but not limited to, protected student records, employee personal identifying information, and District assessment data, shall only be loaded, stored or transferred to District-owned devices which have password protection. This restriction, designed to ensure data security, encompasses all computers and devices within the DCS, any mobile devices, including flash or key drives, and any devices that access the DCS from remote locations. Staff will not use email to transmit confidential files in order to work at home or another location. Staff will only use District provided cloud-based storage services (Google Apps for Education) for confidential files.

    Staff will not leave any devices unattended with confidential information visible. All devices are required to be locked down while the staff member steps away from the device, and settings enabled to freeze and lock after a set period of inactivity.

    Staff data files and electronic storage areas shall remain District property, subject to District control and inspection. The Technology Coordinator may access all such files and communications without prior notice to ensure system integrity and that users are complying with requirements of this policy and accompanying regulations. Staff should NOT expect that information stored on the DCS will be private.

Personally Owned Devices

    Staff are discouraged from using their own personal devices to perform job-related functions, rather than the technology assigned to them by the District. The District strives to provide adequate devices and infrastructure to support all employees job needs. The District manages devices to ensure compliance with data security, privacy and other directives.

If a staff member chooses to use his/her own personal technology equipment, the following guidelines will apply:

1)    Personal devices may be allowed to connect to the wireless network for Internet access.  These devices must have updated and secure operating systems, and have their use segregated from District network resources. Staff must notify Technology staff of their planned use of such a device so proper safeguards can be instituted.

2)    The entire cost to acquire all personal technology equipment is the responsibility of the staff member. Services that may incur a financial cost to the District, such as phone options or other "apps" are not allowed. The District does not agree to pay such charges and staff who desire these options must assume all costs incurred for such charges.

3)    Personal technology equipment is not covered by the District's insurance if it is lost, stolen or damaged. Loss or damage to any personal technology equipment is solely the responsibility of the staff member. If lost or stolen, the loss should be reported immediately to Technology staff so appropriate action can be taken to minimize any possible risk to the DCS and the District.

4)    Staff assumes complete responsibility for the maintenance of personal devices, including maintenance to conform to District standards. Staff also assumes all responsibility for problem resolution, as well as the use and maintenance of functional, up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware software and any other protections deemed necessary by Technology staff.

5)    Staff must also meet any expectations of continuity in formatting of files, etc. when making changes to documents for work purposes (i.e., do not change the format of a file so that the original file is unusable on District-owned hardware/software).

6)    All personal technology equipment used on the DCS or wireless network is subject to review by the District Technology Coordinator, or individuals/entities designated by the Superintendent, if there is reason to suspect that the personal device is causing a problem to the DCS network, or if the staff member is suspected by a supervisor of spending excessive time at work on non-work related matters.

7)    The District's email client will not be installed on personally owned devices. All access to email and personnel forms will be through employee access on the District webpage, or by accessing the Traveler module from the wireless network or the personal data plan of the user's device.

8)    The use of personal technology equipment in the course of a staff member's professional responsibilities may result in the equipment and/or certain data maintained on it being subject to review, production and/or disclosure (i.e., in response to a FOIL request, discovery demand or subpoena). The staff is required to submit any such information or equipment, when requested.

9)    It is also the responsibility of District staff using a mobile device, personal or District-owned, to ensure that all security protocols normally used in the management of District data on conventional storage infrastructure are also applied on that mobile device. All District-defined processes for storing, accessing and backing up data must be used on any device used to access the DCS.

10)    Staff may access the DCS remotely if the staff member has demonstrated that his/her personal device meets the security standards set by the District.

11)    Use of any mobile technology device during the school day, whether District-issued or personally owned, should not interfere with the staff member's ability to carry out daily responsibilities.

District-Issued Devices

    Mobile wireless devices issued by the District will be subject to audit and inventory standards. Staff must be able to produce the device when requested by a District official. If the device is lost or damaged, it must be reported to the staff member's supervisor immediately. If theft is suspected, law enforcement will be contacted.

Flash Drives

    Flash or key drives may be provided to staff members for use on the District network if required by their job responsibilities. Flash drives that contain private and personal secure information (PPSI) will be encrypted and/or password protected. Flash drives that contain material such as PowerPoint presentations or general District or budget information do not need to be encrypted. Use of a personally owned flash drive to conduct District business is prohibited.

Wireless Devices on District Premises

1)    For security reasons, staff who use their personal device to connect to the Internet, using a District network, will only be permitted to use the District's wireless network. Access to any other District network using a personal device is prohibited.

2)    Personal devices that have the ability to offer wireless access to other devices must not be used to provide that functionality to others in any District building. The ability to connect personal devices to the District wireless network is a privilege and not a right for staff. Any staff member who violates the conditions of this regulation using his/her own device will have his/her access privileges withdrawn.

3)    When personal devices are used in District facilities or on the District wireless network, the District reserves the right to:

a.    Make determinations on whether specific uses of the personally owned wireless devices are consistent with the Staff Acceptable Use of Technology agreement;

b.    Log network use and monitor storage disk space utilized by such users; and

c.    Remove or restrict the user's access to the network and suspend the right to use the personally owned computer in District facilities at any time if it is determined that the user is engaged in unauthorized activity, violating the District's Staff Acceptable Use of Technology agreement, or violating the terms of this Regulation.