<p>In wireless security, passwords are only half the battle. Choosing the proper level of encryption is just as vital, and the right choice determines whether your wireless LAN is a house of straw or a resilient fortress.</p>
<p>Wireless security protocols have evolved over time to address issues, enhance compatibility and strengthen security compared to their predecessors. Wired Equivalency Protocol (WEP) is the original wireless standard developed by the <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/reference/IEEE-802-Wireless-Standards-Fast-Reference”>IEEE</a> in 1997 to provide a security standard for wireless networks. Being new for its time, WEP had several security vulnerabilities that were later addressed in 2004, when Wi-Fi Alliance released Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) as its successor. WPA built upon WEP by addressing its security flaws.</p>
<p>WPA was more of a temporary standard used to address the latter’s issues, as it soon became obsolete in 2004 in favor of WPA2, a faster and more secure protocol. WPA2 was a long-term standard that remained the most dominant security protocol until 2018, when Wi-Fi Alliance introduced <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/WPA3″>WPA3</a>. Although WPA3 is the latest wireless security standard, most organizations continue to use WPA2.</p>
<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”Why wireless encryption matters for enterprises”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>Why wireless encryption matters for enterprises</h2>
<p><a name=”_Hlk216112300″></a>Encryption is the process of converting data into ciphertext that requires the proper keys for decryption, making it difficult to decode. Encryption happens at many layers. Business applications and web commerce are all encrypted, whether using an encrypted Wi-Fi connection or a VPN, so wireless network encryption is arguably less significant than it once was.</p>
<p>Wi-Fi encryption, in addition to the application-specific encryption in use, provides a comprehensive security baseline for all client devices. This prevents unencrypted applications from posing a security risk. <a name=”_Hlk216112580″></a>Encryption also helps make the WLAN environment more secure from a topology perspective, as a defense against other potential vulnerabi
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