Policy Document |
Email Virus Scanning
|
For the definitions of terms used in this policy document refer to
the Delegations of Authority. Senior Delegated Officer (SDO) means the
manager with the delegated authority for the management of a number of
organisational units and/or University wide function(s), ie the relevant DVC
or PVC (College). As appropriate for the local nomenclature
and reporting lines, when this document refers to Department read also School
or Unit; to Faculty read also: |
1
Background
Computers, especially department
servers, desktop and laptop computers, can be compromised by attacks from
computer viruses. These can be widely
spread via email messages processed via unprotected University computers.
To assist in combating this problem the
University has implemented virus scanning systems for receipt of emails on
University-wide and Departmental mail servers.
This protection is designed to supplement, but not change, the
continuing need for
2
Policy
The University requires all email
messages carried over its networks (including messages sent from the outside,
internally, and to the outside) to be scanned for computer viruses.
The University asserts its right to
3 Scope and Limitations
This policy applies to all e-mail
received or sent through University owned or operated email servers.
Whilst the University takes all
reasonable steps to ensure that legitimate, legal messages are
4
Definitions
Defanging content
Rendering an email message or
attachment harmless.
Refanging
content
A process to restore an email
attachment to its original state as a file on a computer system.
Email scanning
Examining an email message and/or
attachment for suspicious content.
Email cleaning
Removing a virus and all traces of it
from an email message.
Email
Virus
Malicious
executable or potentially executable code carried in email messages. When received on a computer, alters the
configuration or files on that computer without knowledge or consent of the
human recipient.
ICT
Resources
All of the University’s Information and
Communication Technology Resources and facilities including, but not limited
to: mail, telephones, mobile phones, voice mail, SMS, facsimile machines,
email, USydNet, MyUni, UniKey, eStaff, the intranet, e-Services, securID,
computers, printers, scanners, access labs or other facilities that the
University owns, leases or uses under Licence or by agreement, any off campus
computers and associated peripherals and equipment provided for the purpose of
University work or associated activities, or any connection to the University’s
network, or use of any part of the University’s network to access other
networks.
User/s
All employees, including casual
employees, any person enrolled in an award course of study at the University
and any person registered to attend short courses, seminars or workshops in any
unit of the University, including the Centre for English Teaching and the
Centre for Continuing Education as well as all other persons including members
of the general public, who have been granted access to, and use of, the
University’s ICT Resources.
A member of the public reading public
University web pages from outside the University is not by virtue of that
activity alone considered to be a User.
5
Procedures
(1) The University will set up a central email scanning process to scan all messages passed through the central mail server ("mail.usyd"). Funding for establishing and maintaining this service will be provided centrally.
(2) Departmental mail servers or individual users may use this scanning service to relay all incoming or outgoing messages through “mail.usyd” via configuration settings. The technical details will be available from Information Technology Services on request.
(3) The email scanning procedures and rules will be as follows:
· All email messages will be scanned.
· Email messages verified as harmless will be processed unchanged.
· Email messages identified as containing known viruses or malicious content will be cleaned before continuing onward transmission; empty messages that result will either be deleted, or replaced with an appropriate warning message.
· Emails with potentially harmful content will be defanged and forwarded along, with suitable warnings and instructions for recovery of the original message. This will include all messages not classified and handled above; eg malicious constructs in,
o Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME),
o Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
o Extensible Markup Language (XML)
o class identifier (CLSID) or executable objects,
and other content designed to exploit vulnerabilities in email clients.
· The warnings and instructions on how to recover an original message will be designed to allow the recipient to independently verify the legitimacy of the message.
(4) Because sender addresses can be forged by an email virus, the scanning process will never send anything back to a sender, unless the sender can be conclusively identified.
(5)
Although Departments may implement
their own scanning procedures for departmental mail servers, departmental scans
must be consistent with the requirements of this policy, and be as thorough as
the scans on “mail.usyd”. Establishment and maintenance of such scanners should
be funded by the Departments themselves.
6
Authority
and consultation
(1)
Development/consultation
This Policy
was developed by the members of the Anti-Virus and Security Working Party of
the Federation of IT Providers in consultation with staff of Faculties and the
ITS .
(2)
Responsibility
for policy implementation, communication, monitoring and review
The Director, ITS has the overall
responsibility for management of this policy.
(3)
Contact
For
inquiries relating to this policy, please contact the Network Security Officer,
ITS:
ph: 9351 5504 fax: 9351 5001
email: security@isu.usyd.edu.au.
7
Approval
By
_______________________________________
Chief Information Officer
Date___________________________________
Date
of Effect
Date___________________________________
Proposed
Date of Review
12 months from date of approval
8
References
University Policies and Guidelines
Central Email Policy and Procedures http://www.usyd.edu.au/itc/email_procedures_june02.htm
Code of Conduct for Content Providers: http://helpdesk.usyd.edu.au/forms/C_Conduct.pdf
Freedom of Information Policy: http://policy.rms.usyd.edu.au/000004q.pdf
Privacy Policy: http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/arms/privacy/policy.htm
Privacy Management Plan: http://www.usyd.edu.au/arms/pdf/pmp.pdf