Wireless Security

Wireless Security
Wireless security methods, listed from weakest to strongest, include:
■ Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)—It uses static keys, weak authentication,
and is not scalable.
■ 802.1x Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)—Uses RADIUS for
authentication, dynamic keys, and stronger encryption. Cisco supports
it via Lightweight EAP (LEAP) and Protected EAP (PEAP).
■ Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)—This is a Wi-Fi Alliance standard.
Uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) for encryption, dynamic
keys, and 802.1x user authentication. Cisco supports it via Lightweight
EAP (LEAP), Protected EAP (PEAP), and Extensible Authentication
Protocol-Flexible Authentication via Secure Tunneling (EAP-FAST).
■ WPA2—The Wi-Fi Alliance’s implementation of the 802.11i standard,
which specifies the use of Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for
data encryption and uses 802.1x authentication methods. Can also use
TKIP encryption.