The WFCG provides ICT hardware and software to enable you to do your studies. The available facilities may only be used for learning, research, creating learning materials and personal educational development only. They are not for games or social networking unless it is part of your course.

User Security

• To use the WFCG Network you must be an enrolled student or must have applied to the IT Services Department for temporary limited access.
• As a user you are responsible for the security of your accounts and files.
• You must not share your username and password with anyone else. If you think someone knows your password change it at once or go to the IT Services Department with your ID card to have it changed.
• You are not allowed to let anyone else use your account or use anyone else’s account yourself. If you do you are breaking the law (Computer Misuse Act 1990).
• If leaving a computer unattended make sure you have saved your work and logged off.
• You may use the College Group systems whilst you study at the WFCG. Your access and email will be revoked and your files deleted when you leave the College Group. Please make sure when you leave the College Group to make a backup of your files and emails to take with you.

Password Guidelines

• Passwords need to be a minimum of seven characters and include a combination upper and lower letters with at least one number.
• Try not to use complete names, words or abbreviations.
• Do not write your password down.
• Make sure to change your password at least once a term. In particular before the end of the summer term to ensure that it does not expire during the break. If you do not do this there is a chance you would no longer be able to get access to College Group Systems, such as the Moodle from home. We are not able to reset passwords over the phone.
• If you do forget your password please bring your Student ID to the IT Services Department where we can reset your password.

Using the Network

• We may allow users to connect their own equipment to the College Group system via the Guest Wireless Network as long as the device has an up to date anti-virus program running.
• We reserve the right to disable access to the network from personal devices at any time.
• You must not at any time use the College Group systems for any illegal or offensive activity. In doing so you may be subject to disciplinary procedures or even prosecuted by law (Computer Misuse Act 1990). For example but not limited to creating, viewing or transmitting data that may cause offense, is obscene or be considered to be bullying.
• You are not permitted to play computer games, either directly on the computer or from websites, unless specified by your teacher as part of your lesson.
• Users should only print out essential material, and should always check a document before doing so.
• You may use writable media, USB Sticks, Memory Card and e-mail attachments on the College Group Systems to transport files to and from home. You must make sure they have been virus checked. Be aware that if the College Group Antivirus finds an infected file, it will delete it.

Software

• The software you need for your studies is preinstalled by the College Group or on supplied media.
• Under no circumstances are you to try and download or install any software.
• You are not to run unauthorised programs from a portable device (such as a memory stick).
• The IT Services Team will regularly check network areas and if any unauthorised software is found it will be removed and disciplinary action will be initiated.

Internet, VLE, E-Mail

• Internet is available for you to do your studies and reasonable private research is allowed as long as it does not interfere with College Group work.
• The College Group has Internet Filtering in place and under no circumstances should you attempt to bypass this. If you believe a site to be wrongly blocked you will need to get your teacher to put in a request for this to be investigated. If you are caught trying to bypass this system you may be subject to disciplinary procedures.
• You must not at any time use the College Group systems for any illegal or offensive activity. In doing so you may be subject to disciplinary procedures or even prosecuted by law (Computer Misuse Act 1990). For example but not limited to creating, viewing or transmitting data that may cause offense, is obscene or be considered to be bullying.
• Under no circumstances should you access, download, upload or send any material likely to be unsuitable or liable to cause offence to others. This applies to material of a violent, extremist, dangerous, racist, inappropriate sexual content or in any other way contravenes the College Group Equality & Diversity Policy.
• When using these systems, please be respectful to others and do not send communications that could be seen as bullying, sexual harassment or discriminatory / disrespectful. If you receive a communication of this nature please report it immediately to Student Services.
• Please be aware that access to these systems may be removed if you misuse them.

Monitoring

• Your account is the property of the College Group and is to help you work / study. You therefore should have no expectation of privacy in any of your stored work.
• The College Group has a right to monitor all aspects of your use of its systems that are available to you.
• The College Group may monitor, intercept and/or log any communications sent or received by you and by logging on the network you accept the Acceptable Use of Computer Systems Agreement and therefore consent to it.
• The College Group also has CCTV in operation for the security and safety of its staff and students.
• The IT Services Department may monitor activities on the network where appropriate to ensure systems are not compromised or the College Group reputation is harmed.
• The IT Services Department may check files that are stored on the College Group systems at any time or view activities either directly or using remote viewing to ensure compliance to the Acceptable Use of Computer Systems Agreement.

Data

• Although the College Group does maintain a backup system, it will not accept any liability whatsoever for loss, damage, or expense which may result from using the College Group systems.
• You are ultimately responsible for the security of your data. If you have important data, where possible, please make sure you keep a backup copy. Power, disk and system failures usually take effect without warning.
• Please make sure to save your files both when you start a new one and at frequent intervals. Keep your own multiple backup copies of anything that is important.
n you start a new one and at frequent intervals. Keep your own multiple backup copies of anything that is important.

Copyright and Plagiarism

• Don’t copy software without permission.
• Don’t copy any data without permission. This includes copying text or graphics. The usual exceptions to copyright arrangements that allow you photocopy parts of article or book do not apply to the use of computers.
• The College Group takes plagiarism very seriously. Random searches will be carried out and the Disciplinary procedures will be used when a student has been shown to be plagiarising.

Using Personal Devices

As the device owner, you carry specific responsibilities, as listed below:

• You will not lend anyone your device to access the College infrastructure.
• You will be required to setup a six-digit pin to access your device.
• You will be required to use MFA to unlock College accounts.
• Your device or application will lock every 5 minutes requiring re-entry of your pin.
• In order to access your e-mail and College files, you will need to enter your network account password.
• You are responsible for backing up your personal files and in the case of a device shared with family or friends, their personal files to your own personal laptop.
• All external email transfers of sensitive information must be a secured with a password protected zip file. If this cannot be done, then you should not be sending the information on that device.
• You must ensure that your device is compliant, and that security software is kept up to-date. Your device must complete a daily scan and should have real time scanning always enabled. This security software should be set to warn and block access to malicious websites. The system will check whether your device meets compliance criteria and if not, will stop syncing.
• You must only use approved software and Cloud Services to access College accounts; any unapproved software or Cloud service will be blocked by IT Services.
• You must ensure that all unused/unrequired user accounts are removed from your device. Unused/unrequired accounts are considered a security risk and must be removed.
• You must ensure that all unused applications are fully removed from your device.
• Your device will be automatically wiped without notice if: (i) you lose the device; (ii) you terminate engagement with the College Group or (iii) IT Services detects a data or policy breach or virus
• You are responsible for the safekeeping of your own personal data.
• In addition to the above security settings, all users are expected to use their device in an ethical manner. Using your device in ways not designed or intended by the manufacturer is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, “jailbreaking” your iPhone or “rooting” your android device. Be aware that Jailbroken or Rooted devices will not be permitted as it violates policy. Any devices that become rooted or jail broken will stop syncing and any detection will be reported to the Student Services Team.

Disciplinary Actions

• The IT Services Department can, at any time, temporarily suspend a user’s access to the network if any unacceptable use is suspected, whilst an investigation is carried out.
• The IT Services Department may remove files from user areas if they believe that unacceptable use has occurred.
• If a user has found to have broken this agreement they will be subject to the College Group's disciplinary procedures as found in the Student Disciplinary and Appeals Procedures and their access to the network will be suspended.
• The College Group may be legally obliged to contact the police or other authority if the incident warrants it.

General

• Food and drink other than water are not allowed in any Computer Room except in the case of College Group Events.
• ICT equipment should not be damaged, unplugged or tampered with.

The IT Services Team are here to help. If you require further help please come to the IT Services Department with your Student ID where we can assist you.