Postal Service™ resources should not be used to check personal email accounts (i.e. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, Excite, MSN, or other webmail programs). Other prohibited activities when using Postal Service email include, but are not limited to, sending or arranging to receive the following:
n Information that violates state or federal laws or Postal Service regulations.
n Information designated as sensitive-enhanced or sensitive information unless encrypted according to USPS® standards.
n Unsolicited commercial announcements or advertising material.
n Any material that may defame, libel, abuse, embarrass, tarnish, present a bad image of, or portray in false light, the Postal Service, the recipient, the sender, or any other person.
n Pornographic, sexually explicit, or sexually oriented materials.
n Racist, hate-based, or offensive material.
n Viruses or malicious code.
n Chain letters, unauthorized mass mailings, or any unauthorized request that asks the recipient to forward the message to other people.
Management at each Postal Service employment installation may permit employees to make limited personal use of USPS information technology, if that use has minimal effect on Postal Service resources. “Sending a brief email message” from a Postal Service email account can be included in limited personal use; however, sending or receiving email through a personal email account is not permitted on Postal Service equipment or networks.
For additional information, Handbook AS-805, Information Security, is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n Under “Essential Links” in the left-hand column, click PolicyNet.
n On the PolicyNet page, click HBKs.
n Click AS-805 and select Chapter 5.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Corporate Information Security Office,
Chief Information Officer, 5-2-13
