Difference Between WEP and WPA
A security standard for computers with wireless internet connections is called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). The Wi-Fi Alliance developed it to improve upon the original Wi-Fi security standard, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), in terms of data encryption and user authentication.
Features |
WEP |
WPA |
---|---|---|
Encryption |
Relies on RC4 encryption set of rules. |
Supports TKIP and AES encryption algorithms for more potent protection. |
Vulnerabilities |
Vulnerable to numerous attacks, including brute-pressure attacks, packet sniffing, and key restoration assaults. |
Addresses among the vulnerabilities found in WEP, presenting stronger safety towards attacks. |
Key Management |
Uses static encryption keys which can be manually configured and infrequently changed. |
Supports dynamic key exchange protocols, such as WPA-Personal (the use of Pre-Shared Key) or WPA-Enterprise (using IEEE 802.1X authentication), for advanced key management and protection. |
Compatibility |
Widely supported by older Wi-Fi devices, however compatibility can be reducing as it’s far considered outdated. |
Compatible with most present day Wi-Fi devices, although older devices won’t aid newer encryption protocols like AES. |
Security Protocol |
Uses WEP encryption protocol. |
Uses more potent encryption protocols inclusive of TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) and later AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). |
For more, you can refer to Difference Between WEP and WPA.
Wifi Protected Access (WPA)
The two security protocols and security certification programs are Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2). These are developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks. The Alliance defined these protocols because of the serious weaknesses the researchers found in the previous system, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).