What type of Wi-Fi security should you choose for your business?
Protecting your company’s Wi-Fi network is not a single action. There are several steps to take, and good decisions to make!
The first step is to look at security protocols. One of the best known is Wi-Fi Protected Access, or WPA. There is also a second and third version, called WPA2 and WPA3.
WPA, and the 802.11n standard
The WPA protocol is a basic version used mainly of the 802.11n standard, allowing a start of 150 megabits per second. This standard precedes Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which can go to 10.5 gigabits per second. You can imagine the gap between the existence of the WPA protocol and the Internet nowadays!
The merit of WPA was to replace the Wired Equivalent Privacy protocol, or WEP.
Wi-Fi Protectec Access made it possible to use a server with companies to generate certificates and keys to authenticate connections. It is also possible to establish complex and lengthy passwords.
With the growing skills of hackers, it was easy to break into a WPA-protected Wi-Fi network anyway. This is why WPA2 has superseded its first version.
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2
The strength of Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 is AES, which stands for Advanced Encryption Standard. The protocol allows for advanced encryption.
However, it remains vulnerable in corporate Wi-Fi networks, especially through WPS, or Wi-Fi Protected Setup. This is a feature of the router used to facilitate the connection from a device.
Use Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 or 2 with AES
One of the best approaches is to pair the latest WPA versions with Advancer Encryption Standard. On the other hand, the connection speed might be reduced if you don’t have powerful hardware. Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 is already more resource-intensive. You also have to take into account the adaptability between WPA2 and your equipment. Some will only be able to use the first WPA version.
Concerning WPA3, its implementation is progressive with a marketing and a certification from 2018.
WPA3
New features are included with Wi-Fi Protected Access 3:
- Traffic encryption for public Wi-Fi. Individualized data is now encrypted.
- End of the Key Reinstallation Attack (Krack) vulnerability.
- Hackers used to perform a successive reset of the 3rd stage of WPA2, which allowed them to decrypt traffic and steal data.
- The new WPA3 protection is especially important if the users’ passwords are not complex enough.
- Simplification of the connection in line with the Internet of Things, taking into account devices that do not use a screen.
- Greater protection with government, military and large industry applications. These applications benefit from superior encryption for high-value networks.
- There is Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 Personal, Enterprise 128-bit and Enterprise 192-bit.
Protect and use the full potential of your Wi-Fi network with our solutions and partners!
The ADIPSYS team offers CLOUD solutions for established businesses in many sectors:
HOTSPOT MANAGER: easily manage kiosks from a simple access point and enhance your Wi-Fi network to attract more users.
LOGVIEW: Evolve to on-demand storage and analysis of multi-source logs. This analysis is used to refine your knowledge of users connected to your company’s Wi-Fi.
DNS PROTECT: protect Wi-Fi and users by preventing access to content deemed to be at risk.
STUDIO: the solution for communicating and creating content through an intuitive interface. Use the data obtained through the captive portal to promote your products and services.
Our operator and integrator partners allow you to take advantage of our solutions with a simple, protected system adapted to your company, in the Sales, Hotel and Restaurant, Transport, Education, Health and Community industries.
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For more information on our solutions, please contact us at sales@adipsys.com.