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pdf First Responder Communities of
Practice - Rules of Behavior
First Responder Communities of Practice is an information technology service established by the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science &Technology Directorate’s First Responder
Technologies (R-Tech) program.
First Responder Communities of Practice provides First Responders access to an online collaborative
platform to share information, network with other vetted First Responders and collect and share resources
relevant to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from all-hazard incidents. Because the
service may provide sensitive but unclassified information, access to the Service is limited to members
who have been identified and authorized by First Responder Communities of Practice.
While the site’s landing page is available to the general public on the Internet (via any compatible web
browser), privileged access is restricted to those individuals who have been vetted and authorized by
First Responder Communities of Practice personnel, and subsequently identified and authenticated by
the system itself via a user logon and password.
Registered Users should be aware that by registering they have implicitly provided permission for the
system to send them periodic service announcements and administrative messages via email.
Registered Users should also understand and agree that the service may include certain communications
from First Responder Communities of Practice personnel. User information will not be used for marketing
purposes or shared except if required by applicable DHS policy or federal laws or regulations.
DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Policy requires system specific Rules of Behavior (RoB) to be defined for
all DHS IT systems. This RoB policy details the expected behavior of Registered Users when accessing
and using the system. RoB policies that are understood and followed help ensure the security of systems
and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. RoB policies inform users of their
responsibilities and let them know they will be held accountable for their actions while they are accessing
DHS owned systems. DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Policy requires that Registered Users are briefed
with regards to these rules and are aware of the disciplinary actions that may result from noncompliance. Additionally, Users are required to agree to and sign this RoB policy (done via a checkbox
during registration) prior to being granted Registered User access to the First Responder Communities of
Practice.
The First Responder Communities of Practice Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO) will ensure
that all Registered Users read and acknowledge the RoB before being granted access to the system.
The ISSO, in conjunction with System and Application Administrators as appropriate, will maintain a
current list of all registered First Responder Communities of Practice users and ensure that evidence of
acknowledgement of the RoB are on file for each. Acknowledgement of the RoB is captured when a
registering user clicks the checkbox stating “I have read and understand the Rules of Behavior”.
All Non-Compliances with the First Responder Communities of Practice RoB shall be considered security
incidents in accordance with DHS policy and thoroughly investigated by the system’s ISSO in accordance
with the First Responder Communities of Practice Incident Response Plan. If an investigation concludes
that a violation has indeed occurred, a warning may be issued, or the offending Registered User’s
account may be temporarily or permanently disabled or removed, effectively revoking all privileged
access to the information system and any data contained therein. In some cases, violators may be
subject to criminal prosecution.
The following RoB shall be strictly adhered to by all First Responder Communities of Practice Registered
Users. The First Responder Communities of Practice is subject to change at any time. If the RoB does
change, Registered Users will be notified by email and asked to re-read and re-acknowledge or risk the
temporary disablement of their account at the discretion of the First Responder Communities of Practice
ISSO, until they comply.
User Account:
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Registered Users shall be provided access and granted rights to First Responder Communities of
Practice according to “need to know” and “least privilege”.
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Users shall understand that any/all use of the First Responder Communities of Practice
information system is subject to continuous monitoring in accordance with DHS policy at that
access is at the liberty of DHS.
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Users shall not circumvent or attempt to circumvent any security countermeasures or safeguards.
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All users shall have individual accounts. Shared, or sharing of, accounts shall not be permitted at
any time, for any reason.
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All user account credentials (usernames and passwords) will be unique and associated directly
with a single “live” individual.
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No individual user shall be permitted more than one account at any given time.
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Users shall be aware that their account is subject to automatic disablement after 45 days of
inactivity. Users will be sent a warning notice when their account is about to be disabled.
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If an individual user no longer requires access to First Responder Communities of Practice, it
shall be his or her responsibility to notify the system’s ISSO or System Administrator immediately
so that the account can be disabled or removed.
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User accounts/credentials shall not be transferrable to any other individual under any
circumstances.
Password Protection:
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Users shall protect their password from disclosure.
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Users shall not reveal their password to others.
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Users shall be responsible for any computer activity associated with their username and
password.
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User shall not write down or post their password
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Users shall change their password immediately if it is suspected to have been compromised and
subsequently notify the First Responder Communities of Practice ISSO and/or System
Administrator.
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All passwords shall meet the following password requirements:
o
Passwords are at least 8 characters long and have a combination of letters (upper- and
lower-case), numbers, and special characters. Null passwords are not allowed.
o
Passwords must be changed every 90 days and the new password cannot be the same
as any of the user’s last eight passwords.
System Access:
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Users shall not enter into this or any other DHS computer system without explicit authorization.
Any unauthorized entry into this information system is a serious security violation and may result
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in civil or criminal prosecution depending on the extent of the violation.
Users shall not permit any unauthorized individual (including spouse, relative, co-worker, or
friend) access to restricted/non-public areas of the information system.
Users shall understand and accept responsibility for protecting all output generated under their
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account (for example, printed output, CD/DVD ROM, USB/Flash memory, external hard drives,
magnetic tapes).
Users shall not print, distribute or disseminate other users’ Personally Identifiable Information.
Users shall understand and accept that there is no expectation of privacy and that their activity is
subject to auditing at all times while using First Responder Communities of Practice.
Users shall agree to notify the System Administrator when access to the information system is no
longer needed or when a user ceases to be a First Responder.
Users shall understand that evidence of acknowledgement of this agreement will be kept on file
with the System Administrator when they agree to accept the RoB.
Website Content:
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Information or content posted to the website must relate to professional activities and mission of
First Responder Communities of Practice.
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Users shall not upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any content that is
unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortuous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene,
libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable.
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Users shall not post CLASSIFIED or LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE information or
documents to the First Responder Communities of Practice under any circumstance. In addition,
it is the user’s responsibility to use reasonable judgment when posting data to the system to avoid
the creation of information that could be considered SENSITIVE of CLASSIFIED in aggregate.
Only FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY or SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED MATERIAL is permitted on
the site.
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Users shall not impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent
themselves or any data they put on the system.
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Users shall not forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of
any content transmitted through First Responder Communities of Practice.
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Users shall not upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any content that you do
not have a right to make available under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships
(such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part
of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements).
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Users shall not upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any content that
infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights of any party.
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Users shall not upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any unsolicited or
unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid
schemes," or any other form of solicitation.
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Users shall not upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any material that
contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt,
destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications
equipment; interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers or networks connected to the Service,
or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the
Service; intentionally or unintentionally violate any applicable local, state, national or international
law; collect or store personal data about other users.
Security
Reporting
Requirements:
Registered Users must promptly report any known/observed violations of or non-compliance with the First
Responder Communities of Practice RoB including (but not limited to) observed IT security incidents,
suspicions of security violations, or posting of inappropriate content. Reports should be made directly to
the
First
Responder
Communities
of
Practice
ISSO
or
System
Administrator.
Export Control
First Responder Communities of Practice is a tool to share industry-specific information, including both
technical and non-technical information, among practitioners and interested parties. It is the user’s
responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding the export of controlled
information. Exporting information includes providing access to information through emails, links, and
other sharing mechanisms. Certain information, including technical data such as that which is available
on this website, may be controlled for export reasons, including through email, from the United States or,
within the United States, to foreign nationals.
For further guidance, please see www.pmddtc.state.gov or www.bis.doc.gov.
Modification of the Service
First Responder Communities of Practice reserves the right at any time to modify or discontinue,
temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice. You agree that First
Responder Communities of Practice shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification,
suspension or discontinuance of the Service. First Responder Communities of Practice is not liable for
any data or information lost as a result of discontinuance of service.
Termination
You agree that First Responder Communities of Practice may, under certain circumstances and without
prior notice, immediately terminate your account and access to the Service. Cause for such termination
shall include, but not be limited to, (a) breaches or violations of the RoB or other incorporated agreements
or guidelines, (b) requests by law enforcement or other government agencies, (c) a request by you (selfinitiated account deletions), (d) discontinuance or material modification to the Service (or any part
thereof), (e) unexpected technical or security issues or problems, and (f) extended periods of inactivity.
Termination of your First Responder Communities of Practice account may include (a) deletion of your
password and all related information, files and content associated with or inside your account (or any part
thereof) and (b) barring further use of the Service. Further, you agree that all terminations for cause shall
be made in First Responder Communities of Practice sole discretion and that First Responder
Communities of Practice shall not be liable to you or any third party for any termination of your account or
access to the Service.
Links
The Service or authorized users may provide links to other World Wide Web sites or resources. Because
First Responder Communities of Practice has no control over such sites and resources, you acknowledge
and agree that First Responder Communities of Practice is not responsible for the availability of such
external sites or resources and does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any content,
advertising, products, or other materials on or available from such sites or resources. You further
acknowledge and agree that First Responder Communities of Practice shall not be responsible or liable,
directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use
of or reliance on any such Content, goods or services available on or through any such site or resource.
Acknowledgment Statement
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I understand that I have no expectation of privacy while using First Responder Communities of
Practice.
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I understand that I will be held accountable for my actions while accessing and using First
Responder Communities of Practice.
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I agree to indemnify and hold First Responder Communities of Practice and its subsidiaries,
affiliates, officers, agents, co-branders or other partners and employees harmless from any claim
or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of
content I submit, post, transmit or make available through the Service, my use of the Service, my
connection to the Service, my violation of the Rules of Behavior, or my violation of any rights of
another.
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I acknowledge that I have received as well as understand my responsibilities and will comply with
the Rules of Behavior for the First Responder Communities of Practice system.
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As a Registered User of First Responder Communities of Practice, I acknowledge my
responsibility to conform to the above requirements set forth the by the Communities of Practice
Program on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate.
I understand that my failure to agree to these Rules of Behavior will result in denial of access to
Communities of Practice and its system components.
Screen after hitting “I agree”
Screen after resetting password:
First Page after you pass the log in and password pages:
Home Page
Available Communities
Community Home Page
Discussion Board
Wiki
Documents
Shared Calendar
Bookmarks
| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | jeffrey.hudkins |
| File Modified | 2010-07-07 |
| File Created | 2010-07-07 |