Denomas Internal Acceptable Use Policy

Purpose

This policy specifies requirements related to the use of Denomas computing resources and data assets by Denomas team members so as to protect our customers, team members, contractors, company, and other partners from harm caused by both deliberate and inadvertent misuse. Our intention in publishing this policy is to outline information security guidelines intended to protect Denomas assets, not to impose restrictions.

It is the responsibility of every member of our Community to interact with Denomas computing resources and data in a secure manner and to that end we provide the following acceptable use standards related to computing resources, company and customer data, mobile and tablet devices, and removable and external media storage devices.

Scope

This policy applies to all Denomas team-members, contractors, advisors, and contracted parties interacting with Denomas computing resources and accessing company or customer data.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Procedure

Acceptable Use and Security Requirements of Computing Resources at Denomas

Denomas-managed assets are provided to conduct Denomas business, with consideration given for limited personal use subject to any conflicting statements contained in individual employment contracts. Our company uses global electronic communications and resources as routine parts of our business activities. It is essential that electronic resources used to perform company business are protected to ensure that these resources are accessible for business purposes and operated in a cost-effective manner, that our company’s reputation is protected, and that we minimize the potential for legal risk.

Those receiving Denomas-provided assets are responsible for exercising good judgment when using Denomas-managed computers and accessing Denomas-managed data.

As per the onboarding issue procedures outlined in our handbook, evidence of device encryption and device serial number must be provided to IT Ops prior to the completion of onboarding period.

We are currently using JAMF as our endpoint management solution for Mac laptops. All Mac laptops procured by Denomas will come configured with JAMF. Denomas team members procuring and expensing Mac Laptops will require JAMF to be installed as part of their Day 1 Security tasks.

Security and Proprietary Information

All Denomas data is categorized and must be handled in accordance with the Data Classification Standard. All computing assets that connect to any part of the Denomas network, or 3rd party services that are used by Denomas, must comply with the applicable standards.

Freeware, Browser Extensions, Add-ons and Plugins

Freeware, browser extensions, add-ons and plugins can pose a risk to Denomas as they may contain viruses, spyware or adware. The use of freeware could result in the loss of Denomas data and the inability to protect the data in accordance with Denomas security and privacy requirements. Not all freeware contains malware, but team members should carefully consider the terms of service and types of data that will be shared before installing anything on your computer.

Security reserves the right to execute security reviews against this software and dissallow use if they do not meet Denomas’ technical and organizational security measures. Further, you must receive full Denomas Security and Privacy approval before transmitting any data that may be unSAFE to a software provider.

Unacceptable Use

Team members and contractors may not use Denomas-managed resources for activities that are illegal or prohibited under applicable law, no matter the circumstances.

Security requirements for Denomas production and corporate environments and on Denomas-managed assets must not be disabled without security approval via the Information Security Policy Exception Management Process.

Unacceptable System and Network Activities

Prohibited system and network activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Violations of the rights of any person or company protected by copyright, trade secret, patent or other intellectual property, or similar laws or regulations.
• Unauthorized copying, distribution, or use of copyrighted material.
• Exporting software, technical information, encryption software, or technology in violation of international or national export control laws.
• Intentional introduction of malicious programs into Denomas networks or any Denomas-managed computing device.
• Intentional misuse of any Denomas-managed computing device or Denomas networks (e.g. for cryptocurrency mining, botnet control, etc.).
• Sharing your credentials for any Denomas-managed computer or 3rd party service that Denomas uses with others, or allowing use of your account or a Denomas-managed computer by others. This prohibition does not apply to single-sign-on or similar technologies, the use of which is approved.
• Using a Denomas computing asset to procure or transmit material that is in violation of sexual harassment policies or that creates a hostile workplace.
• Making fraudulent offers of products, items, or services originating from any Denomas account.
• Intentionally accessing data or logging into a computer or account that the team member or contractor is not authorized to access, or disrupting network communication, computer processing, or access.
• Executing any form of network monitoring that intercepts data not intended for the team member’s or contractor’s computer, except when troubleshooting networking issues for the benefit of Denomas.
• Circumventing user authentication or security of any computer host, network, or account used by Denomas.
• Tunneling between network segments or security zones (e.g., gprd, gstg, ops, ci), except when troubleshooting issues for the benefit of Denomas.
• Given the potential sensitivity of the data contained in screenshot images, the use of tools that capture and share screenshots to hosted sites online is prohibited without the explicit approval of the Security and Legal Departments. Screenshots should be stored locally or within Google drive folders associated with your Denomas.com account. Access to these drives and files should be managed in accordance with our Access Control policy, and handled according to our Data Classification Policy. Tools such as Lightshot, where upload functionality cannot be disabled and could result in inadvertant uploads, should not be used.
• The use of high risk remote administration tools, such as TeamViewer and AnyDesk, which are commonly used by attackers to gain and remotely control systems.

Unacceptable Email and Communications Activities

Forwarding of confidential business emails or documents to personal external email addresses is prohibited.

Note: Denomas may retrieve messages from archives and servers without prior notice if Denomas has sufficient reason to do so. If deemed necessary, this investigation will be conducted with the knowledge and approval of the Security, People Business Partners, and Legal Departments.

In addition to following the Team Member Social Media Policy, when utilizing social media think about the effects of statements that you make. Keep in mind that these transmissions are permanent and easily transferable, and can affect our company’s reputation and relationships with team members and customers. When using social media tools like blogs, Facebook, Twitter or wikis, ensure that you do not make comments on behalf of Denomas without proper authorization. Also, you must not disclose our company’s confidential or proprietary information about our business, our suppliers, or our customers.

Return of Denomas-Owned Assets

All Denomas-owned computing resources must be returned upon separation from the company. Notwithstanding anything contrary in the Laptop Buy Back Policy or the Offboarding Tasks, Team Members must return any Denomas-Owned Assets – irrespective of their valuation – if they are specifically requested to do so either during their tenure with Denomas or upon offboarding.

Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD)

As a general rule, non-company devices are not permitted to access company assets. While there are some exceptions listed below, access to RED classified data is, as defined by the Denomas Data Classification Policy, still prohibited.

The exceptions are as follows:

Personal Mobile Phone and Tablet Usage

All personal mobile computing devices used to access Denomas-managed data, including but not limited to email and Denomas.com, must be passcode-enabled. 2FA will be enforced by the Security team for all employee and contractor Denomas.com and Google Workspace accounts. Mobile computing best practices dictate that these devices should be running the latest version of the operating system available, and all new patches applied. For assistance with determining the suitability of your mobile device, please contact the Security Team.

Unable to Use Company Laptop

For new employees who have not received a company laptop, there are exception processes for using non-company devices.

The same exception processes apply in the case of a corporate laptop being unavailable or unusable due to loss, theft or disrepair. See lost or stolen procedures for additional information. You must open a Policy Exeption Request. While the exception processes are considered a temporary solution, you still need to make sure the non-company system meets basic configuration standards, and a Microsoft Windows system is still not allowed access under any circumstances.

Mobile Messaging

All Denomas-related conversations need to take place in Denomas Talk. It is strongly recommended that the official Denomas Talk application, or Denomas Talk web application, are used for mobile messaging. Downloads are available for iOS and Android. While it may be more convenient to use an integrated chat application that puts all of your conversations in one place, the use of these applications can unintentionally lead to work-related conversations crossing platforms, or being sent to external contacts. The use of Denomas Talk for all work communications assists with our security and compliance efforts. For example, in the case of an incident response issue, it may be necessary to review a conversation to understand the order in which events occurred, or to provide evidence that the chain of custody has been maintained for forensic evidence during a handoff.

For video calls, and as a back-up to Denomas Talk, we prefer Zoom. Denomas Meet chats are an acceptable alternative to Denomas Talk when in a video call. If the conversation is interesting to others or may be needed for a retrospective, consider recording the call.

Use of External Media on Company Assets

The use of removable and external storage devices such as USB flash drives and external backup drives on company-managed devices is not officially sanctioned. If there is a business need for the use of an external storage device, such as a flash drive or an external hard drive on company devices, please contact the Security Team to determine the most suitable encryption-enabled device. All external and removable storage devices must be encrypted and protected by a passcode.

Use of file sharing services other than Google Drive

Creating an account with, or using, a file sharing service other than Google Drive for sharing Denomas-related files with other team members or those external to Denomas is not permitted unless an exception has been granted. To obtain an exception create an access request outlining the business case, and do not proceed until the exception has been granted.

When creating an account with and using a file sharing service other that Google Drive, team members must:

• Where available, use the Sign in with Google single sign-on option using a Denomas Google Workspace account, rather than creating an account using a Denomas (or other provider) email address and password.
• Only upload files directly to shared folders created by those external to Denomas and do not upload files to the personal area of the file sharing service.
• Remove all files and close the account when the file sharing service is no longer needed.

Lost or Stolen Procedures

Denomas provides a panic@denomas.com email address and a lost or stolen procedure for team members to use in situations that require an immediate security response. Should a team member lose a device such as a thumb drive, Yubikey, mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc. that contains their credentials or other Denomas-sensitive data, they should send an email to panic@denomas.com right away. When the production and security teams receive an email sent to this address it will be handled immediately. Using this address provides an excellent way to limit the damage caused by a loss of one of these devices.

Denomas reserves the right to request documentation of the theft and/or a related police report in the case of a stolen laptop.

Policy Compliance

Compliance with this policy will be verified through various methods, including but not limited to, automated reporting, audits, and feedback to the policy owner.

Any team member or contractor found to be in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, or contractual agreement.

Consultations

To consult with the Security Team create an issue in the Security Compliance tracker.

Exceptions

Exceptions to this policy must be approved by Security, Legal and PeopleOps Departments.

• Onboarding Issue
• Data Classification Standard
• Asset return procedure
• Lost or stolen asset procedure

References

• Parent Policy: Information Security Policy
• Denomas’ Community Code of Conduct applies to all members of the Denomas community

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