Although employee-owned PCs are authorized for use in the government work place, it is strongly
discouraged. It is discouraged because an employee may become dependent on his other PC and
may accidentally process information that is not authorized for his or her PC (paragraph 5-4b, AR 5-
1). Before the Army established this policy on the use of employee-owned computers at the work site
(office), it was common practice for soldiers and civilian employees to bring their PCs into the office
and use them to process Army related (official) work. This caused problems, and that is why the use
of employee owned computers is now discouraged:
Dependence: The employee owned PC may become so "mission-essential" that the unit cannot
perform its mission without that PC.
Liability : If the employee owned PC is stolen or damaged at the work site, the owner can file a claim
for reimbursement with the Claims Office.
Software piracy. The use of employee owned PCs at the work site encourages the unauthorized
copying and use of Army software.
Security : Since the employee owned PC is not Government property, the owner and other users tend
to disregard security procedures.
The use of employee owned computers at the work site is discouraged, but not prohibited.
Commanders may approve or disapprove their use, and will establish appropriate procedures for
their approval and use in the unit. The commander must approve the use of employee owned PCs
both at and off the work site. If approved for use, certain restrictions apply to the use of employee
owned PCs (or any other employee owned computers):
The employee owned PC must comply with all provisions of AR 380-19, to include accreditation.
Government related work processed by the employee owned PC is the property of the Untied States
Government
Classified information will not be processed on an employee owned PC. Only UNCLASSIFIED
information may be processed.
Part J: Software Piracy
"In 1988, .5 billion in microcomputer software was sold worldwide. During that same time, another
billion in sales was lost to free distribution - better known as software piracy."
J.B. Musgrave
Rainbow Technologies
Software piracy: To reproduce computer programs without authorization, especially in infringement of
copyright.
IT0772
6-6
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