FMHI IT policies are developed to be in compliance with the official USF policy for Using and Protecting Microcomputing Resources (0-501). This policy was established at the university level and is geared towards protecting the infrastructure of the university network as well as its liability in certain legal matters.

FMHI goes beyond the overall USF policy, however, because of the need to protect the sensitive data and information within our network.  FMHI IT policies are presented to the FMHI Data Network Committee for review before implementation. 

 Links and bullet listings to the most relevant of those policies are included here.

·          FMHI Security Policy

·          FMHI Secure Logon and Password Policy

To view the entire list of FMHI IT approved procedures, go to http://security.fmhi.usf.edu/procedures.cfm.  A link will be provided, when applicable, to the information below.

Requesting FMHI IT Service

All formal service requests must be initiated by the customer or associate through the FMHI IT Help Desk. The Help Desk service consists of walk-in service (MHC 2501), telephone (974-1905), e-mail (helpdesk@fmhi.usf.edu), and an online service request system.

FMHI IT Service Limitations

Hardware:  FMHI IT staff will provide “best effort” service with available hardware resources.  Some service limitations exist to protect the integrity of the FMHI/USF network infrastructure as well as service and support resources (i.e., non-support of Windows 9x computers).  In many cases, the hardware vendor will not offer support or components for older computers.  Computers older than 5 years may have difficulty in supporting the standard operating system and applications and should be replaced.  Departments can check the age of their computers by going to the PC Age Check page and entering the decal number, or by requesting a report from IT.  FMHI IT will contact the vendor for all warranty issues.

FMHI IT staff will support personal hardware (PCs, laptops, PDAs, etc.) for network connectivity issues only.  

Software:  FMHI IT supports software and applications which directly and clearly support the mission of the Institute and the work and productivity of its employees.  (See the FMHI Standards List.)  Software licenses must be purchased from an FMHI/USF account before installation.  FMHI IT does not support software related to personal convenience, system aesthetics, non-critical maintenance software, and any other software which may pose a security risk to the Institute network infrastructure. (See Non-Standard Software procedure 06.02.1.)  All non-standard software must be approved by the Institute Security Coordinator or Institute Security Officer.

Network:  FMHI IT does not support a wireless network, at this time.  For wireless connectivity, users can go to the FMHI Research Library.  FMHI does not have a Blackberry server available for users.  Any device discovered on the network that is not identified as a USF/FMHI associated device will be removed.

PC/Laptop Acquisition

Purchasing:   Before purchasing a new PC or Laptop, please review  the FMHI Standards List.  If you would like an IT staff member to provide you a quote, please make the request via the IT online ticket system.

Receiving:   All PCs, laptops, and other equipment, costing more than $1,000, MUST have a USF decal before IT can begin the deployment process. Departments need to contact USF Property (974-6026) and their staff will come to FMHI to decal the computer.  Computers/devices that cost less than $1,000 will be given a decal provided by FMHI IT for inventory purposes.  When the computer/laptop is brought to IT, a copy of a packing slip and/or the purchase order MUST be provided

Deployment:  All new networked Windows desktop PCs and laptops must be set up in IT, to assure compliance with system, network, and security policies.  IT will also upgrade or reformat existing computers to comply with standards, when requested. A setup checklist is used to guarantee that standard operating systems, applications and security settings are applied.  If specific software is needed for deployment, the request can be made when bringing in the PC or laptop to IT.  Turnaround time for deployment is variable, but you can specify levels of priority when making your request. Department IT Associates can assist with some setup and installations, which could speed up deployment.

ALL laptop computers MUST be received and encrypted by FMHI IT before deployment, according to the FMHI Security Policy.  Please review the Encryption Standards and Procedures – 4.07.1  for further information. 

For a complete explanation of this process, you can view the PC Intake procedure document.