Question

Explain in detail the top 802.11 data-in-motion encryption protocols. How do they work?  Which protocols would you suggest for people to use? Why.

Answer 1

Top 802.11 data-in-motion encryption protocols are:

WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy
WPA - Wi-Fi Protected Access
WPA2 - Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2

List of best to worst of the modern WiFi security methods

WPA2 + AES - This is the default choice for newer routers and the recommended option for networks where all clients support AES.
WPA + AES - AES was first introduced before the WPA2 standard was completed, although few clients supported this mode.
WPA + TKIP/AES -
WPA + TKIP - Default choice for old routers that don't support WPA2.
WEP -
Open Network - No Security

WEP

*It used for the protection of the data-link layer frames during wireless transmission
*It depends on a secret key hared between the communicating entities for the security.
*It uses RC4 key stream consits of the 24-bit Initialization Vector (IV) and the 56-bit key.
*The WEP uses a per-packet IV picked by the sender and ensures that RC4 key stream does not repeat and produces different cipher text even when the plaintext messages are the same.

WPA-WiFi protected Access

*It is used for protection from intrusion.
*The Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) was adopted for WPA.
*It generates 128 bit key per packet dynamically and prevents outside attacks.
*This is an improvement over WEP.
*It also includes Message Integrity Check which prevents an attcaker fro,m modifyng and resending the packets of data.

WPA2

*WPA2 security keys are available in different modes
*A WPA2 Pre-Shared Keys are 64 hexadecimal digits long.
*It commonly used on home networks.
*And usually choose between two encryption methods: Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).