WPA for wireless LAN security technology

The security technology of wireless LAN involves many fields. How can we deal with WPA and WEP technologies? Here is a detailed description. For encryption, WPA uses temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP: Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) encryption is mandatory. TKIP uses a new encryption algorithm to replace WEP, which is stronger than WEP's encryption algorithm. It can also use the computing tools provided on the existing wireless hardware for encryption.

What is the comparison between WPA and WEP?

WEP is a data encryption algorithm. It is not a user Authentication mechanism. WPA technology uses 802.1X and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP.

In the 802.11 standard, 802.1X authentication is optional; in WPA, 802.1X authentication is required (for details about EAP, see RFC2284 of IETF ).

For encryption, WPA uses temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP: Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) encryption is mandatory. TKIP uses a new encryption algorithm to replace WEP, which is stronger than WEP's encryption algorithm. It can also use the computing tools provided on the existing wireless hardware for encryption. TKIP provides the following important Enhanced Data Encryption features: per-packet key mixing (per packet); MIC: message integrity check (MIC: message integrity check ); extended initialization vector (IV) with sequential rules and regeneration key mechanism. With these enhancements, TKIP addresses make up for all WEP vulnerabilities.

What is the key feature of WPA technology security?

The WPA standard includes the following security features:

1. WPA Authentication

2. WPA encryption key management

-- Temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)

-- Michael message integrity encoding (MIC)

-- AES support (gradually adopted)

The following describes these features:

WPA improves most of the vulnerabilities of WEP that we know well. It is mainly applied to the company's internal wireless infrastructure network. Basic wireless networks include workstation, AP, and authentication server (typical RADIUS server ). before a wireless user accesses the network, the RADIUS service controls the user trust (such as the user name and password) and authenticates the wireless user.

WPA has the following advantages:

. Network security performance can be determined: it occurs in the 802.11 standard, and through the WPA information element communication in the beacon, Detection Response and (re) joint request. these basic information includes the authentication algorithm (802.1X or pre-shared key) and the preferred cipher suite (WEP, TKIP or AES ).

* Authentication; WPA uses EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) to force the authentication mechanism at the user layer to use the 802.1x port-based network access control standard architecture. 802.1x port access control is used to prevent access to all networks before the user authentication is complete. The 802.1X EAPOL-KEY package uses WPA technology to distribute each information key to these workstation for security authentication.

* The workstation Client Program (supplicant) uses the authentication and cipher suite information contained in the information element to determine which authentication methods and cipher suites are used. for example, if the AP uses a pre-shared key method, then the Client Program (Supplicant) does not need to use a mature 802.1X. however, the client program (Supplicant) the pre-shared key that the client owns must be easily proved to the AP. If the client detects that the service unit does not contain a WPA element, therefore, it must use pre-WPA 802.1X authentication and key management in the command to access the network.

* Key Management: WPA technology defines a strong key generation/Management System, which combines authentication and data privacy functions. the key is generated after the workstation and AP are successfully authenticated and the 4-step handshake is passed.

* Data Encryption (encryption). The temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) is a dynamic encryption algorithm and Security Technology encapsulated on WEP to overcome its shortcomings,

* Data integrity. TKIP contains an information integrity code (MIC) at the end of each plaintext message to ensure that the information is not "Spoofed ".