INTERNET AND EMAIL USE POLICY

1. INTRODUCTION

“Roughly 90 % of European workers send emails unrelated to their job during business hours. Six out of ten workers send personal email on a daily basis. These were the findings of a survey conducted on recruitment site Monster.com that studied all matters related to these workers’ jobs.”  (taken from Belgian press).

The growing use of email and the internet by VREBOS group employees means that certain mandatory rules need to be followed in order to:

• avoid undesirable use of the VREBOS group’s bandwidth;
• see to the ongoing security of the VREBOS group’s lines and network;
• prevent the unauthorised dissemination of information about the company;
• favour the use and efficiency of messaging applications and other means of electronic distribution.

This code of conduct includes the use of internet and email (from a computer connected to the LAN, WAN or WIFI network at the office, as well as from a computer connected to the office network via Internet), in addition to the message and attached files sent through this medium.

The code of conduct applies to all shareholders, employees, independent contractors, trainees, part-time workers, suppliers, and visitors who connect to the VREBOS group’s network or who work on a computer belonging to the VREBOS group.
Computers and any other medium and/or software made available are intended for professional use only and remain the property of the group at all times.

2. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ICT DEPARTMENT

The internet and email are managed by the ICT department. The security of file servers and management of the fire wall are the exclusive responsibility of the ICT department. This department manages, coordinates and executes corrective measures to ensure optimal functioning of the system and maximum security of company information. The VREBOS group adapts to new technologies in this field on an ongoing basis.

3. USER RESPONSIBILITY AT THE VREBOS GROUP

The user is required to read the code of conduct in force at the VREBOS group. They are henceforth required strictly to follow the rules and principles contained therein. The user must report via an email sent to it@group-vrebos.be any infractions and irregularities they become aware of and which may have a negative impact on data security or system availability. The user must avoid participating in any advertising campaigns, chain letters or confidential information which may prejudice the proper functioning of the systems.

4. LINES OF CONDUCT

The abovementioned lines of conduct apply both inside and outside office hours

4.1 Authorised use vs. prohibited usage

• Business use versus private use: Internet and email are made available to employees to conduct their business-related tasks. However, given the widespread use of these tools, occasional personal use is acceptable, provided it remains reasonable and does not fall within the prohibited use definitions (see below). Therefore, browsing the internet during the day, participating in chat rooms or using discussion groups for personal purposes are unacceptable. We ask that staff members exhibit good will and commitment by refraining to engage in activities which no not contribute to the optimal use of working hours.
• Prohibited personal addresses: all business correspondence must be sent to the business address (mailto:username@group-vrebos.be). The use of personal email addresses to send business emails to clients or business colleagues is prohibited.
• Prohibited use: The following activities are strictly prohibited (“zero tolerance”). This list of prohibited activities is provided as an example only and may not be considered exhaustive:
  • viewing, saving and sending unauthorised information, such as:
    • advertisements offering services that are sexual in nature;
    • messages that are contrary to accepted principles of morality:
    • messages that are racist in nature;
    • incitement to perform criminal acts;
    • conspiracy;
    • gambling and betting, such as lotteries;
    • the sale of drugs by unauthorised persons.
  • other prohibited or illegal use may include:
    • infringement of third-party intellectual property rights
    • practices of sexual harassment
    • unauthorised access to computer systems or the network
    • dissemination of unsolicited advertising.
  • improper use of systems, which may jeopardise the security and efficiency of the computer network, such as:
    • viewing and/or sending pornographic or erotic content;
    • disseminating chain letters;
    • introducing viruses into the network;
    • participating in recreational games;
    • engaging in personal activities for profit (advertising or sales);
    • sending advertising information about the VREBOS group without the authorisation of VREBOS group management;
    • downloading computer applications without the approval of the ICT manager of the VREBOS group;
    • disseminating unauthorised information;
    • listening to/viewing radio and television via the internet.
  • sending information without showing the sender’s address or while pretending to be someone else from inside or outside the company.
  • any use which jeopardises the reputation of the VREBOS group.
  • signing up for unauthorised mailing lists.

4.2 Network security

• Internet access: accessing the internet from computers connected to the network may only be done through the network. Any other form of connection is prohibited (such as via modem).
• Confidentiality of analogue data:  the user name and password of each employee shall remain confidential and private and may under no circumstances be given to a colleague or a third party. Employees are personally responsible for the use of their email by means of their user name combined with their password.
• In the event of absence or leave: an employee may only delegate the rights to use their email in exceptional situations requiring the approval of the ICT department. The use of the “out of office” assistant is mandatory to notify those sending information and/or messages to your address of your absence.
• Connecting to websites: to log in to certain websites, a user name and password are sometimes required. Under no circumstances may the user name and password used for the VERBOS group’s network be used.
• Group code of conduct: for further information on computer security, you may always contact the ICT department.

4.3 Security of corporate information

• Confidentiality rules: confidential information may be sent only via internet or email if one or more rules are followed:
  • documents must be sent in PDF format with password protection;
  • Excel, Word or PowerPoint documents must be sent with password protection (the password is provided to the recipient by other means (preferably telephone)).

4.4 Optimal and efficient use of email

• For optimal and efficient use of email, it is preferable that the following guidelines be followed:
  • avoid sending emails over 1 MB (its main function is to send small messages). it is strictly prohibited to send email messages over 4 MB.
  • avoid sending photos by email.
  • keep the number of recipients to a strict minimum and only send information needed by the recipient.
  • limit the number of persons receiving copies (CC) to those concerned by the message sent.
  • The Forward function is only used among company employees. This function is not used in the case of friends, customers or third parties. The Reply function is only used when the email history is limited to the two persons concerned by the communication. In all other cases, a new message should be sent instead of using this function.
  • Only use the Reply to all function if this is useful for everyone.
  • Only keep important messages, and clean your inbox regularly so that only emails requiring some action on your part are displayed. Saving too many email messages can slow down searches for messages and the sending of urgent messages.
• Basic use rules:
  • each user should check his/her incoming mail regularly. It is unacceptable to ignore an email. It is preferable to send a message quickly indicating how and when a request will be answered.
  • Do not forget to sign each email with the following signature:”last name” “first name”
    Group VREBOS
    *********************
    Postal address

    Tel. +32 telephone number
    Fax +32 fax number

    **************************************************
    Please reply if there are any problems with this mail. The content is confidential and intended only for the addressee above. If you received this in error, please notify us immediately.
    **************************************************

  • Each email must contain a clear description, including those sent directly via fax! It should permit the recipient to process the incoming message efficiently.
  • Do not use Urgent feature except in exceptional urgent cases (i.e. not in everyday situations).
  • Avoid using the autoreply feature to confirm receipt of messages.
  • Reliability of information found on the internet: depending on the source, the user should be vigilant where information found on the internet is concerned.

5. MONITORING AND SANCTIONS

5.1 Monitoring:

• VREBOS group management reserves the right, subject to the law:
  • to implement mechanisms for monitoring email and internet use;
  • to install filters to limit access to certain websites;
  • to probe or read emails to recover vital information which can no longer be obtained otherwise.
• Based on the log files, the VREBOS group’s ICT management may generate a usage report containing websites visited and email recipients. This report will be handled with the utmost confidentiality by the work group responsible for the computer systems. The manager will only be notified of an infraction if said infraction is serious.

5.2 Sanction

Prohibited use as defined herein shall be sanctioned, depending on the case, by a simple warning, banning of the use of messaging tools or the internet, or dismissal in the most serious situations.

6. CONTACT PERSONS

For further information, please contact the person computer systems manager at your branch.