ICT Policies and Regulations

Technology facilities and services provided by the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (“APU”) is intended primarily for use in teaching, learning, research, and approved business activities by its staff, students and other authorised persons ("Users"). APU encourages good and full use to be made of these facilities.

For the protection and benefit of the community of users, any person using the information technology facilities and services must comply with the APU’s ICT regulations, Internet Policy Statement, Email Policy and Information Systems Security Guidelines. 

To ensure that IT facilities and services are not abused, APU retains the right to randomly monitor a selection of messages and materials sent over its network and to take any appropriate action if there is misuse. This may include referral to the Police or the relevant authority in the event of suspected criminal activity.

1. IT hardware must be treated with care and use in accordance with the proper operating instructions.  Any apparent fault with hardware should be reported promptly to Technical Assistant (TA) or Technical Support (TS) personnel. User should stop using any equipment(s) if there is reason to believe that the equipment(s) may not be in safe working condition.

2. Users must not by any deliberate or careless act or omission, jeopardise or seek to jeopardise the integrity of any IT equipment, and/or its software and/or any information stored within it and/or accessed through it.

3. Users must not access and/or attempt to access any IT equipment, software and/or data which they are not properly authorised to access. In particular, the confidentiality of data belonging to other Users must be respected.

4. Users must take all necessary steps to protect and maintain the security of any equipment, software, data, storage area and/or passwords allocated for their use. Users must not use access codes which are assigned to another user(s) for any reason whatsoever.

5. Users must not use any IT facility for a purpose other than that for which they are authorised. Users must seek advice if they have any doubt about their authority to use any of the IT facilities.

6. Users must comply with all their legal obligations affecting their use of IT facilities.

7. Users are advised to refer to the Guide to Students' Responsibilities when using IT facilities, a copy of which may be obtained from TS.

8. The use of any IT equipment for storage and/or transmission of materials which APU considers to be obscene and/or offensive are strictly prohibited. Furthermore, IT facilities must not be used to download pornographic, obscene, excessively violent and/or offensive materials from the Internet.

9. Users must take all reasonable steps to exclude and avoid the spread of malicious software, e.g. viruses, and must co-operate fully with all measures instituted by TS to prevent the spread of such software. In particular, Users must not install or execute on a APU computer any software obtained from a third party source, unless such software has been previously checked and cleared of the presence of malicious software by TS personnel or appropriate technical personnel within their Faculty/Service.

10. Computer programs on the IT facilities are protected by the law of copyright. APU has the appropriate licences to use these programs. Users must comply with all their legal obligations concerning copyright, and must not copy any software or other data without the prior authorisation from the copyright owner. Such action would be in breach of copyright law. Furthermore, Users must comply with any contractual obligations imposed on APU concerning the use of any of the IT equipment or software.

11. Online library learning resources, including datasets and databases, e-books and e-journals, which are subscribed by APU are protected by copyright and licence agreements. Users who are not covered by these licence agreements must not attempt to use these resources. Whenever in doubt, Users are advised to seek advice at the Library Help Desk.

12. Users must comply with their legal obligations concerning data on living persons. Student Users must not store personal data on any of the IT facilities without consultation and the prior written approval from the member of the academic staff supervising their work. Any requirement students have to store or process personal data as defined within the Act must be undertaken under the direct supervision of a member of the academic staff. As such TS and APU are not responsible for any loss of data belonging to Student Users.

13. If Users are in any doubt about what constitutes acceptable and appropriate use, they should seek the advice and guidance, in the case of members of staff, of their Manager, and in the case of students, of their Course Tutor or Lecturer.

14. Users must not connect any unauthorised equipment to APU network without consultation and the prior written approval from TS Manager or the relevant TS Staff holding authority over the APU Network. If TS has reasonable grounds for believing that any equipment may be the cause of unacceptable degradation of the performance of the network detrimental to other Users, then the User must co-operate with the disconnection of the equipment from the network pending resolution of the problem.

15. Users must not set up or operate a server connected to APU network without consultation and the prior written approval from the TS Manager.

16. When any of APU's IT facilities are used to access any external network and/or computer facilities, Users must also abide by any additional conditions pertaining to the external facilities, including those imposed by the external providers of such facilities.         

17. Any use of any of APU’s IT facilities by Users to store personal data may need to be registered. Consultation should be undertaken with the Manager, Technology Services, in such instances and approval to be obtained in advance.

18. APU permits the use of its IT facilities by Users for personal use, subject to the following limitations:

    • a level of usage that is reasonable and not detrimental to the Main Purpose for which the facilities are provided;

    • priority must be given to using of resources for the Main Purpose for which they are provided;

    • personal use must not be of a commercial or profit-making nature, including private consultancy, or for any other form of personal financial gain, unless prior written approval is obtained from the appropriate Head of School or Service;

    • personal use must not be of a nature that competes with APU in business;

    • personal use must not be connected with any use or application that conflicts with an employee's obligations to APU as their employer;

    • personal use must not be connected to any purpose or application that conflicts with APU's rules, regulations, policies and procedures;

    • personal use must comply with APU's policies and regulations.

APU views the unauthorised access or interference with any of its IT facilities as an extremely serious disciplinary offence.  Any breach of these regulations shall be dealt with in accordance with the disciplinary procedures of APU applicable to the User concerned. 

User to use particular IT facilities may be withdrawn immediately, by the Manager, TS, and the appropriate report shall be made to the Management of APU, and in some extreme cases may be reported to the Police or other Legal Authorities.