Information Security Awareness: Why Use Secure the Buffalo State Secure Wireless Network?
Buffalo State has more than one wireless network. The Buffalo State secure wireless network is called Bengal. To enroll a device on this network, you must provide your Buffalo State credentials. The other wireless network, BengalOpen16, is a public network. "Public" means that information sent over this network is not encrypted. In addition, users are logged off after 15 minutes of inactivity and must log in again.
If you have not yet (re)enrolled your device(s) on Bengal, the secure wireless network, there are two very important reasons to do so: security and convenience.
Security: Wireless communication over this network is encrypted.
Convenience: Faculty, staff, and students can enroll their devices and log in just once a year. Persistent wireless connectivity is then provided across campus without the need to log in each time. Individuals may enroll up to five devices on the network (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop). Users must download the app and re-enroll each mobile device every year.
To recap, Bengal is the secure wireless network; BengalOpen16 is the public wireless network. To use the secure wireless network (Bengal), you must download the Cloudpath application. You may link to it from the Secure Wi-Fi page on the Information Technology website by clicking one of the green “Enroll Your Device” boxes. Follow the instructions. You may delete the Cloudpath application once you have enrolled.
Why is the Cloudpath app so poorly rated in my app store?
If you read the reasons people give low ratings to the Cloudpath app, you will see that they are actually rating their wireless service as slow and mistaking Cloudpath as the wireless service. Cloudpath is simply the application that allows you to enroll your devices on the secure wireless network using your Buffalo State credentials. It is not the wireless technology itself, and it provides no bandwidth. Once you have enrolled your devices on the Buffalo State secure wireless network, you can uninstall Cloudpath. It has done its job. You must download it yearly to re-enroll on Buffalo State secure wireless.