Recommended Guidelines for Responsible Computing at the University of Delaware - User Confidentiality and System Integrity - The Research Center on Computing & Society

Text-only Version

Prepared by staff in Computing and Network Services,
University of Delaware

7. User Confidentiality and System Integrity

If a system administrator is an eyewitness to a computing abuse; notices an unusual degradation of service or other aberrant behavior on the system, network, or server for which he or she is responsible; or receives a complaint of computing abuse or degradation of service, he or she should investigate and take steps to maintain the integrity of the system(s). If a system administrator has evidence that leads to a user’s computing activity as the probable source of a problem or abuse under investigation, he or she must weigh the potential danger to the system and its users against the confidentiality of that user’s information.

While investigating a suspected abuse of computing; a suspected hardware failure; a disruption of service; or a suspected bug in an application program, compiler, network, operating system, or system utility, a system administrator should ordinarily ask a user’s permission before inspecting that user’s files, diskettes, or tapes. The next two paragraphs outline exceptions to this rule.

If, in the best judgment of the system administrator, the action of one user threatens other users or if a system or network for which the system administrator is responsible is in grave, imminent danger of crashing, sustaining damage to its hardware or software, or sustaining damage to user jobs, the system administrator should act quickly to protect the system and its users. In the event that he or she has had to inspect user files in the pursuit of this important responsibility, he or she must notify, as soon as possible, his or her own administrative officer or other individual designated by that administrative officer of his or her action and the reasons for taking that action. The administrative officer needs to be certain that one of the following are also notified: the user or users whose files were inspected; the user’s supervisor, project director, administrative officer, or academic advisor. It is a departmental responsibility that this notification occur, not a personal responsibility of the system administrator.

In cases in which the user is not available in a timely fashion, in which the user is suspected of malicious intent to damage a computer system, or in which notifying the user would impede a sensitive investigation of serious computer abuse, the system administrator may inspect the information in question so long as he notifies his or her own administrative officer or other individual designated by the administrative officer of his or her actions and the reasons for taking those actions. The administrative officer needs to be certain that the user’s supervisor, project director, administrative officer, or academic advisor is notified of the situation. In the case of suspected malicious intent, the administrative officer may also need to refer the matter to the appropriate University judicial body or to the Department of Public Safety.

A system administrator may find it necessary to suspend or restrict a user’s computing privileges during the investigation of a problem. The system administrator should confer with his or her administrative officer or other person designated by that administrative officer before taking this step. A user may appeal such a suspension or restriction and petition for reinstatement of computing privileges through the University’s judicial system, through the grievance procedures outlined in the faculty collective bargaining agreement, or by petition to the Dean of Students.

In general, then, a system administrator should:

protect the integrity of the system entrusted to his or her care
respect the confidentiality of the information users have stored on the system
notify appropriate individuals when the above two aims have come into conflict assist his or her administrative officer in referring cases of suspected abuse to the appropriate University judicial process.

Back to the top

Go to: 8. Penalities for Misuse of Computing and Information Resource Privileges

Home > Teaching Resources > Computer Ethics Issues in Academic Computing > Recommended Guidelines for Responsible Computing at the University of Delaware

The Research Center on Computing & Society
at Southern Connecticut State University
501 Crescent Street • New Haven, CT 06515
Director: (203) 392-6790 • e-mail: webmaster@computerethics.org

© 2000 – 2007 – Research Center on Computing & Society