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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
Denver, CO
TITLE 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
R2 Supplement No. 6600-94-1
Effective May 15, 1994
POSTING NOTICE. Supplements to this title are numbered consecutively. Post by document
name. Remove entire document and replace with this supplement. Retain this transmittal as the
first page of this document. The last supplement to this Title was Supplement 6600-92-1 to
6610.
Page Code
Superseded
(Number of Sheets)
6604.2--1 through 6604.2--3
6607-6607.7
2
5
Supplements Covered
R2 Supplement 4, 8/81
R2 Supplement 6, 3/89
Document Name
6600 Zero Code
Superseded New
(Number of Pages)
6
Digest:
Deletes obsolete material and revises security information to include new user request form.
ELIZABETH ESTILL
Regional Forester
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TITLE 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
R2 SUPPLEMENT 6600-94-1
EFFECTIVE 5/15/94
ZERO CODE
6607 - INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY.
6607.3 - POLICY. Use of Forest Service Information Processing Facilities are limited to those
for conducting official business, and the following other appropriate uses by employees and
others:
A. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. In addition to the normal official information processing, the following
are authorized activities:
(1) Information Preparation and Dissemination
(a) Agency-sponsored employee wellness activities.
(b) Social and fundraising information from management-sanctioned employee organizations.
(c) With prior approval of the Forest Supervisor or Regional Office Director, information and
solicitations for donations for Forest Service employees and retirees, and their immediate family members that have
suffered losses from a natural disaster, serious illnesses, accidents, or death.
(d) Agency-sponsored CONCERN Programs.
(e) Combined Federal Campaign.
(f) Agency-sponsored recycling information.
(g) Information about Forest Service employee retirements, transfers, and reunions.
(h) Union (NFFE) business and information distribution as defined in the current Master Agreement
between FS and NFFE.
(i) Forest Service official business-related "networking" of information.
(j) Child and dependent care information according to Region/Forest and/or local direction or policy.
(2) Use of Forest Service software, modems and other hardware on home computers for accomplishing Forest
Service-related business when it is officially approved and accountability of property is transferred to the individual
via Form AD-107 (REPORT OF TRANSFER OR OTHER DISPOSITION OR CONSTRUCTION OF
PROPERTY).
(a) Employees must ensure that home computers are periodically checked with virus-checking
software.
(3) Completion of agency-sponsored and approved school and training.
(4) Preparation and storage of an individual's SF-171.
B. UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. Any use of Government computers for the sole benefit of individuals
or interest not pertaining to officially sponsored activities is prohibited. Some specific identified unauthorized
activities include:
(1) Using, sending, advocating "chain" letters no matter what the purported benefits.
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(2) Advocating any cause or personal opinion not sanctioned by the Forest Service without prior approval
from line management.
(3) Soliciting support of causes and suggesting others write their elected representatives about an issue.
(4) Unauthorized reproducing and/or distributing of copyrighted material.
(5) Mailing applications (SF-171, resume, and so forth) to prospective employers.
(6) Soliciting donations for any cause not listed above under Authorized Activities.
(7) Providing information pertaining to political causes and/or activities.
(8) Creation of and use of personal mailing lists to conduct personal or entertainment activities which some
employees may participate in.
(9) Borrowing Government personal computer software without official approval and accountability of
property transferred to the individual.
C. Use of Forest Service Information Processing Facilities, including software, by non-Forest Service people
(hereafter known as cooperator) may be granted provided:
(1) The cooperators' use of information processing facilities are explicitly provided for in the contract or
agreement and approved by the line officer in charge or appropriate Regional Office Director.
(2) Access is limited to those features/functions on the system required to perform the task at hand.
(3) All system resources (computer time, disk space, profiles, terminals, and so forth) and office space is
provided to the cooperator from the allocation of the responsible staff.
(4) The cooperator may not be granted privileged access except where privileged access, such as that for
system operator, is explicitly described in the contract or agreement.
(5) Security awareness training is provided to cooperators prior to being granted access and the sponsoring
Director or Forest Supervisor accepts full responsibility for security breaches of the cooperator.
(6) If Forest Service property is to be provided to a cooperator as a part of an agreement, accountability for
that property must be documented on Form AD-107 (REPORT OF TRANSFER OR OTHER DISPOSITION OR
CONSTRUCTION OF PROPERTY).
(7) Adequate security measures are in place.
(8) In addition to the above items, if the use is for other than Forest Service related business, the following
requirements apply:
(a) There must be a documented public and/or non-profit interest.
(b) All costs (hardware, software) must be reimbursed by the cooperator.
(9) Ownership and Access to Data/Information
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6607.4 - Responsibility.
6607.41 - All Employees. All employees are authorized by the appropriate unit leader on the
Profile Request Form (R2-6600-7) access to the Information System. They are then assigned a
USERID/Profile and operating space in the system. This access is given to enable employees to
accomplish their assigned work duties and not for personal or unofficial purposes. Each user
must sign a form affirming they understand the proper system use. A copy of the form is filed for
reference and another copy given to the employee.
A. Notification to Employees
(1) All employees will be notified in writing periodically that the access to the USDA, Forest Service
Information Processing Facilities is restricted to OFFICIAL USE. No personal records, documents, or information
should be placed, stored, or created within USDA, Forest Service Information Processing Facilities unless written
permission is obtained prior to creation.
(2) System Operators/Superusers will be notified in writing periodically that it is a criminal act to exceed
their computer access authorization and access unauthorized information.
B. Forest Service Data Access. The Forest Service may examine the systems and information stored in those
systems at anytime for management and/or proprietary purposes as listed in the following conditions:
(1) The Line Officer at each unit may access or cause to be accessed individual employee computer files
stored in the USDA-FS systems when an employee is absent from the office for an extended period because of
illness, travel, leave, detail or other circumstance and the information is needed to continue government business and
is in accordance with the current Master Agreement between the Forest Service and NFFE.
(2) There is an allegation of misuse or wrongdoing against the employee and examination of the computer
records are necessary to resolve the allegations and complete an investigation and is in accordance with the current
Master Agreement between the Forest Service and NFFE.
Access Procedures:
The procedure to gain official access of USDA Forest Service Information Processing Systems for administrative or
investigative purposes will be as follows:
(1) Prior to any access of an individual employee's stored information a written justification shall be signed
by the Line Officer of the unit of Director, MS&A. Only then can the records be accessed and examined. When the
purpose for accessing an individual employee's stored information is for investigative purposes, the procedures
outlined in FSM 5320 and/or FSM 6170 will be followed. Signed justifications shall be maintained for 5 years.
(2) Access is then gained by a System Operator/Superuser through changing the password on the individual
Userid. A witness should be present when the profile is accessed.
(3) Examination of individual records shall be reasonable in the scope of the examination. For example if the
justification to access an employee's individual electronic files is based on an urgent need to retrieve a particular
document during the employee's extended absence, then the justification is limited to this purpose. In an instance
when an employee may be accused of improperly gaining information and storing it in their individual space the
scope of the examination would be greater than the first example cited above, but the examination should always be
reasonable in the scope of what may be examined, weighed against that which is being sought.
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6607.44 - Regional Forester. The Regional Forester delegates the authority and responsibility to
grant access to non-Forest Service people (Cooperator) for the use of Forest Service Information
Processing Facilities, including software, to Forest Supervisors and Directors.
Authority to grant access for non-Forest Service-related business may not be redelegated beyond
Forest Supervisors and Directors.