The College employs various measures to protect the security of its computing resources and of their users' accounts. Users should be aware, however, that the college cannot guarantee such security. Users should therefore engage in "safe computing" practices by establishing appropriate access restrictions for their accounts, guarding their passwords, and changing them regularly.
Users should also be aware that their uses of college computing resources are not completely private. While the college does not routinely monitor individual usage of its computing resources, the normal operation and maintenance of the college computing resources require backup and caching of data and communications, the logging of activity, the monitoring of general usage patterns, and other such activities that are necessary for the rendition of service. The college may also specifically monitor the activity and accounts of individual users of college computing resources, including individual login sessions and communications, without notice, when:
The user has voluntarily made them accessible to the public, as by posting to the Internet or a web page
It reasonably appears necessary to do so to protect the integrity, security, or functionality of college or other computing resources or to protect the college from liability
There is a reasonable cause to believe that the user has violated, or is violating this policy
An account appears to be engaged in unusual or unusually excessive activity, as indicated by the monitoring of general activity and usage patterns
It is otherwise required or permitted by law
Any such individual monitoring, other than that required by law, or necessary to respond to perceived emergency situations, must be authorized in advance by and officer of the college. The college, in its discretion, may disclose the results of any such general or individual monitoring, including the contents and records of individual communications, to appropriate college personnel or law enforcement agencies and may use those results in appropriate disciplinary proceedings. Communications made by means of college computing resources are also generally subject to federal, state and local regulations.