What are we and aren't we allowed to access??

[maniac]

Having recently been asked by the headteacher to delv into a member of staffs e-mail to try and trace the source of an e-mail that was sent, it's raised the issue for me of what we are and what we are not allowed to access.

 

Does confidentially and privacy exist, or are we allowed to extract any data that is required for a reasonable investigation?? I know there are various acts and laws governing this, but it's extreemly complex to actually understand them all, so if anyone has a simple answer to this, I'd be very grateful.

 

Incidently staff do not sign an acceptable use policy or any sort of document acknowledging their useage will be monitored, which worries me a little, and hopefully is going to be changed soon.

 

Many Thanks,

 

Mike.

[Lee_K_81]

Get an AUP in as soon as possible. Generally it is accepted (and should be covered in your AUP) that school email remains your (schools) property and no privacy should be assumed. Obviously you wont access emails on a day to day basis, but should anything arise and the head instructs you to do check, you can. Covering things like hotmail is a little more difficult. You may struggle to be able to check those unless it is something to do with bullying and it is suspected that it occured in school time.

[webman]

Make sure you get it in writing.

[Geoff]

Assuming the school owns the mail system. You can access any mailbox you like, whenever you need to. Even the head teachers. This last point will likely help you get a Staff AUP sorted out.

[plugged_in]

If its anything like the commercial world then yes, emails sent within company time from company pc's can be used against you. Its like making private phone calls on the work phone. No one signs a form to say you are not allowed to but we all know it to be wrong

[Ravening_Wolf]

Covering things like hotmail is a little more difficult.

 

Just block it at your firewall :twisted:

[Lee_K_81]

Covering things like hotmail is a little more difficult.

 

Just block it at your firewall :twisted:

 

Would love to but dispite us having a school email accessible via the web, teachers moan if we block it as kids email things to themselves. ](*,)

 

I'm thinking that we *I* need to re-write the schools AUP, as it was written before my time, by the ICT co-ordinator.

[Geoff]

You can kill external email providers dead from a policy standpoint if you write something into your anti bully policy to cover e-mail/instant messaging/VoIP.

[Lee_K_81]

Sometimes easier said than done, especially if there is something in place, and said person feels it is sufficient

[CheeseDog]

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIP Act) makes it illegal for companies to monitor staff’s use of email and internet without making them aware of this fact.

 

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/20000023.htm

[GrumbleDook]

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIP Act) makes it illegal for companies to monitor staff’s use of email and internet without making them aware of this fact.

 

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/20000023.htm

 

Stick it in the AUP and you are covered. A number of companies cover it in inductions and it is often part of the contract (as part of checking for industrial sabotage and protection of the comany's intellectual property!)

[Ravening_Wolf]

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIP Act) makes it illegal for companies to monitor staff’s use of email and internet without making them aware of this fact.

 

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/20000023.htm

 

Stick it in the AUP and you are covered. A number of companies cover it in inductions and it is often part of the contract (as part of checking for industrial sabotage and protection of the comany's intellectual property!)

 

Even in the days before the RIP Act I worked for companies who took this standpoint. Does that make me officially old? 8O