Bradford Campus Manager Network Access Control Policy

The Columbia University Medical Center is instituting Network Access Control (NAC) to help provide a more secure computing environment for all students, faculty and staff. Bradford Campus Manager, a NAC Management tool/appliance, is being used to institute these controls. Bradford will also give immediate connectivity to new computers registering for wired network access, as long as they meet the basic network security policies.

These basic policies are that each computer using the CUMC network has:

• Current operating system updates
• Working antivirus and antispyware programs with their current virus and spyware definition updates

The Bradford Campus Manager does this by registering computers via a short online form and a running a quick (typically less than a minute) scan of the computer. The scan only checks for the policies and programs listed above, and removes itself from the computer upon completion of the scan. No other data is scanned or checked in any way, and no program is left installed or running on the computer.

Additionally, anyone connecting to the wired network in areas managed by Bradford must now authenticate by logging in with their Columbia UNI and password. This allows us to accurately match owners to their computers, and provides Network Security a more efficient way to contact those using an infected computer.

For a list of the the specific steps involved in registering, scanning and authenticating with Bradford Campus Manager, please click here.

Why has CUMC implemented the Bradford Campus Manager?
We have decided to use Bradford Campus Manager both to provide significantly quicker registration and access for new computers on the wired network, and to provide a more secure campus network.

Faster Registration and Access to the Network
Registration and wired access previously took one business day or more. Registration using Bradford Campus Manager now allows immediate access to the wired network for those computers that meet the basic required security policies.

Providing a More Secure Campus Network
Viruses, spyware, bots and other malware can cause serious problems for any private network and the computers connected to it. By using Bradford Campus Manager we are insuring that computers on the campus network have the most basic security software programs to prevent infection from malware and in doing so, help to provide a much more secure network for all.

Viruses and other exploits in recent years have targeted computers that do not have current working security programs. There have been numerous incidents of widespread attacks that manage to bring down thousands of unpatched, unsecured computers at a time in addition to causing serious congestion on affected private networks. The rise in identity theft by malware also poses a serious problem for all, but is a special concern for the campus network which must maintain compliance with HIPAA regulations.

More FAQs regarding Bradford Campus Manager and the wired residential network can be found here.