Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a security protocol designed to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a level of security and privacy comparable to what is usually expected of a wired LAN.
Description
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was developed to create a secure wireless network by encrypting data transmitted over the air. Introduced in 1997 as part of the IEEE 802.11 standard, WEP was intended to prevent unauthorized access to wireless networks and protect the confidentiality of data. It uses a shared key for encryption, which means that both the sender and receiver must know this key to encrypt and decrypt the information. However, WEP has significant security flaws that make it vulnerable to attacks, such as the ability to crack the encryption key through passive eavesdropping and active attacks. Due to its weaknesses, WEP has largely been replaced by more secure protocols like Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA2. Despite its shortcomings, WEP laid the groundwork for future wireless security measures and raised awareness about the importance of protecting wireless communications in the cybersecurity landscape.
Examples
- Many older home routers still support WEP, but users are advised to switch to WPA or WPA2 for enhanced security.
- In 2003, researchers demonstrated how WEP could be compromised in just a few minutes using tools like Aircrack-ng.
Additional Information
- WEP uses a 40-bit or 104-bit encryption key, which is considered weak by modern standards.
- The protocol is defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard but has been deprecated due to its vulnerabilities.