XI. Web and Internet Technology Policy

I. Purpose:

MSCD recognizes the scope of the World Wide Web and the importance of Internet technology in the dissemination of information both internal and external to the College. MSCD is committed to the development and support of quality content and expert delivery of content over MSCD web.

Such a far-reaching medium requires the combined resources of IT, College Communications and individual MSCD departments. This policy has been developed to assist in the management of the MSCD Web and Internet resources.

II. Policy

Responsibilities:
It is the responsibility of an MSCD web developer to read and meet the terms and conditions of the MSCD Web Style Guide (currently being developed by Institutional Advancement) and the Responsible Use of Information Technology Resources Policy. All questions or requests regarding this policy should be directed at the Metro State Helpdesk at 1-877-35AskIT (1-877-352-7548) or visit www.mscd.edu/AskIT

Information the College Gathers:
MSCD Web servers generate temporary logs that contain the following information:

• Internet address of computer being used
• Referring web page
• Web pages requested
• Date and Time
• Browser used
• NID (unique person identifier for Banner services only)

The log data is used by system administrators and web content managers to tune the web site for efficiency and is not ordinarily associated with specific individuals. See Responsible Use of Information Technology Resources Policy for further information.

Summary reports produced from the logs help web publishers determine what pages are most popular. For example, the aggregate reports can show each page accessed and how many times it was viewed. The reports can also show what times of the day and what days of the week are most popular and where the web users are accessing the Internet from.

Use of Cookies:
MSCD web servers use cookies in different ways. Cookies are small pieces of data stored by the web browser. Cookies are often used to remember information about preferences and pages specific users have visited. For example, when visitors access some sites on the web they might see a "Welcome Back" message. The first time a visitor accessed the site a cookie was probably set on his or her computer; when he or she returned, the cookie was read again. Visitors can refuse to accept cookies, can disable cookies, and can remove cookies from their computers. Please refer to your web browser manual for instructions on doing this.

MSCD's Student Information System may use cookies so users do not have to repeatedly enter user names and passwords when visiting different areas of the student information system. This login process shall use Secure Socket Layer (SSL), so the user name and password are encrypted between the web browser and our web server.

Some Web servers within the institution may also use cookies to retain user preference information. This information may not be shared with external third parties.

E-commerce & Revenue Generation:
Several sites within the College's web system enable students to pay for products or services online with a credit card. Unless otherwise noted on the website, these transactions shall be encrypted using SSL technology. Confidential information entered during the transaction may be used only for the purposes described in that transaction, unless an additional use is specifically stated on that site.

Web Security and Data Recovery:
The system administrators of the servers on which College sites exist will provide reasonable protection from accidental loss, tampering, or unauthorized access. The creator of the web site, however, is responsible for protecting his/her own sites by keeping passwords secret and changing them regularly; as well as monitoring the security of any executable code (CGI scripts, server side includes, JavaScript, etc.) placed on a College server.

The system administrators reserve the right to monitor all software placed on campus servers for potential security threats, and remove this software as necessary. See Responsible Use of Information Technology Resources Policy and the Use of Intel® LANDesk® Management Suite Policy for further information. Web site creators are also responsible for maintaining personal backup copies of their sites to protect against loss or damage.

Any transactions that require secure communications (such as in the use of Social Security, PIN, or credit card numbers over the internet), must receive the approval of the department chair and an IT representative to ensure that the transmission, storage, and use of such data meets standards for security and privacy, such as using SSL.

As mentioned previously, web site creators are responsible for maintaining personal backup copies of their sites to protect against loss or damage. However, should the need arise, recovery of data from the tape backup library can be requested through the IT Help Desk at 1-877-35AskIT (1-877-352-7548) or visit www.mscd.edu/AskIT

Approved December 2001s