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However, despite revisions to the protocol and increased key size, various security flaws were discovered in the WEP standard over time. One of WEP’s main goals was to prevent Man-in-the-Middle attacks, which it did for a time.
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This key is what is used to connect to a wireless-security-enabled network. A WEP key allows computers on a network to exchange encoded messages while hiding the messages' contents from intruders. This is a static key, which means all traffic, regardless of device, is encrypted using a single key. WEP encrypts traffic using a 64- or 128-bit key in hexadecimal. This is because devices on the network make use of the same encryption algorithm. However, systems that are authorized on the network would be able to recognize and decrypt the data. If wireless data were intercepted, it would be unrecognizable to the interceptors since it had been encrypted. The aim was to add security to wireless networks by encrypting data. Introduced in 1997, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was the first attempt at wireless protection. Since wireless networks transmit data through radio waves, data can be easily intercepted unless security measures are in place.
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Since the late 1990s, Wi-Fi security types have gone through multiple evolutions to improve them. It was developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to provide better data encryption and user authentication than Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which was the original Wi-Fi security standard. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a security standard for computing devices with wireless internet connections. Using the proper Wi-Fi security measures is critical – but in doing so, it’s important to understand the differences between different wireless encryption standards, including WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3. Connecting to the internet over insecure links or networks is a security risk that could potentially lead to data loss, leaked account credentials, and the installation of malware on your network. Wireless security is a crucial aspect of staying safe online.
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