Wireless Networks Questions Medium
WEP encryption, which stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy, is a security protocol used in wireless networks to protect data transmission. It was introduced as the original security standard for Wi-Fi networks. WEP encryption uses a shared key authentication and symmetric key cryptography to encrypt data packets being transmitted over the wireless network.
WEP encryption operates by encrypting the data using a pre-shared key, which is a password or passphrase known to both the sender and receiver. This key is used to generate a unique encryption key for each data packet. The encryption key is combined with the data packet using a bitwise exclusive OR (XOR) operation, making it unreadable to unauthorized users.
However, WEP encryption has several vulnerabilities that make it relatively weak and easily compromised. One major flaw is the small key size, which is either 64 or 128 bits, making it susceptible to brute-force attacks. Additionally, the initialization vector (IV) used in WEP encryption is too short and can be easily predicted, allowing attackers to crack the encryption.
Due to these vulnerabilities, WEP encryption is no longer considered secure and is not recommended for use in modern wireless networks. It has been replaced by more robust security protocols such as WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPA2, which provide stronger encryption algorithms and better security features.