You’re trying to connect to UB Secure Wi-Fi from your smartphone when you’re asked to accept a certificate. But in these times of constant phishing, you’re wary. Is this just another scam?

Go ahead and accept, UBIT says.

Certificates are used to create a secure encrypted tunnel between the user and the radius server, according to UBIT senior network architect Jerry Bucklaew. Certificates normally expire every two to four years, and UB’s expired recently. “So we had to load new ones,” Bucklaew says.

He notes that each device — smartphone, tablet, etc. — acts differently, depending on its operating system and security patches. “Some devices will notify you that a certificate has changed and ask you to accept that,” he says. “Some devices will complain about the certificate if they are not configured properly. And some devices will silently accept it and the user never knows.”

Bucklaew warns that users should not blindly accept or ignore security messages. “The user should understand what the message means and what the appropriate action is,” he says.

When in doubt, contact the UBIT Help Center online or call 716-645-3542.