Rules with reference to the use of the university IT infrastructure

The University has for some years invested significant sums in the development of a powerful IT infrastructure which among other things provides the connection with the worldwide Internet. The costs of this external connection are borne by the DWTC (Federal Services for Scientific, Technical and Cultural matters) in the framework of the federal research network BELNET.

It goes without saying that the use of this university and federal IT infrastructure must be restricted to the educational, research and administrative tasks of the academic community. Any other use is absolutely prohibited. The following activities – the list is not exhaustive – are therefore not permitted:

• the use of the infrastructure for private purposes, whether recreational, commercial or advertising, or more generally without direct connection with research, educational or administrative matters;
• the consulting and/or distribution of illegal information, particularly that which falls under penal provisions;
• the unlawful access to confidential information which belongs to third parties.

Your special attention is drawn to the fact that each improper use will certainly cause the University damage, since the users are identified, even to the outside world, by its network address, and thus as it were carry its name. In addition these abuses can through the extra load that they place on the network hinder the normal work of other members of the university community.

The University reserves the right to punish abuses and where necessary take legal action against the users responsible. Independently of a possible prosecution, the University will not hesitate to take sanctions that are imposed according to the disciplinary statute of the offender within the university community.

August ’97

[original: http://www.vub.ac.be/tools/policy-uk.html]