Wi-Fi Security: An In-depth Look at WPA, WPA2, and WPA3
Wireless networks have become an integral part of our lives, enabling us to stay connected with the world from virtually anywhere. However, as convenient as they may be, wireless networks are also vulnerable to security breaches if not properly secured.
The Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), WPA2, and WPA3 are three security certification programs developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks. These standards were defined in response to serious weaknesses found in the previous system, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).
To learn more about these security measures, check out our video on SAE in WPA3 encryption.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
WEP is an early encryption protocol for wireless networks, designed to secure WLAN connections. However, due to its significant vulnerabilities, it was replaced by more secure protocols such as WPA and WPA2.
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access)
The Wi-Fi Alliance intended WPA as an intermediate measure to take the place of WEP pending the availability of the full IEEE 802.11 standard.
WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2)
WPA2 became available in 2004 and is a common shorthand for the full IEEE 802.11i (or IEEE 802.11i-2004) standard.
WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3)
In January 2018, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced the release of WPA3, which has several security improvements over WPA2.