Preamble
This is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the management of Zimbabwe Government email boxes under the domain of GISP. The email SOP seeks to maintain consistency, compliance and quality of the email service within the Government of Zimbabwe.
Eligibility for a Government Email Box
All the Zimbabwe Government employees/Officers can have a Government email box after due authorisation hierarchically approved from their working areas.
Official Use
The Government email box is specifically for Government business. The box should not be used to communicate information of a security nature. Any personal communication through the box should not bring the Government of Zimbabwe into disrepute. The box remains the property of the Government of Zimbabwe. The privilege to use the Government email box ceases immediately when termination of normal employment becomes operational.
Email Box Creation
All approved applicants’ email boxes should be made available back to the applicant within 24hrs of request to the GISP.
Training on Email Utilisation
It is the duty of the GISP or the relevant Agency’s focal person on ICT to train every email user soon after the creation of the Email box or periodically, to keep email users alert to cyber threats that come through the email box. The default duty to train on email usage is on the GISP. The focal person takes responsibility only after express collaboration with the GISP.
Number of Email Boxes per User/Person
Every Government employee/Officer should work with one (1) box hosted at the GISP. All Ministry Department and Agencies (MDA) Sections or Departments can have their operational emails for example; gisp@gisp.go.zv OR accounts@gisp.gov.zw
Email Box Nomenclature
The standard address for an email box shall be sequenced as follows; initial(s)surname@MDAdomain.gov.zw
Password
Users of the Government email box should use a password with a minimum of seven (7) characters. A password should be changed immediately from default upon getting the new email box. The password should be alphanumeric containing at least a number, a special character and an upper case character.
The password should be changed immediately when proof or suspicion to exposure is detected or, as regularly as possible.
Email Box Size
The Government email box is scalable from 3Gig.
Spam
Government email users should block or report unsolicited emails as spam. A report about such emails to the GISP helps to block the emails at server level.
Email Interface
All Government websites should run with the Government Email Interface or email hyperlink on the HOMEPAGE.
Email service Availability
GISP is obligated to provide the email service real time 24/7/365 with optimum service quality.