What is WPA2 password? We live in a technologically advanced world. Almost everyone has a wi-fi connection at home or office. But making it highly protected can be difficult.
Do the different terms in your wi-fi security section make you confused? We can be easily perplexed by thinking about which one should we use.
We know the WPA2 password is the most secure of all. But now and then, a question might arise in our mind what is WPA2 password.
What is WPA2 Password: Learn
WPA2 is the abbreviation of wi-fi protected access 2. It is the most advanced security protocol for your router. And the WPA2 password is the most secure wi-fi network password.
It uses at least three-layered encryption keys to protect the data you’re sharing. That’s why just anyone can’t easily crack your password.
A Brief History of WPA2 Prototypes
Right now, we’ve three types of encryption methods. Which are: the WEP, the WPA, and the WPA2.
Prototype 1: WEP(Wired Equivalent Privacy)
The WEP was the first invented encryption method to protect a wi-fi password. It used the RC4 cipher algorithm with the 40 bits technology.
But it had some bugs in the system. And from the year of 2004, the use of this protocol ended.
Prototype 2: WPA ( Wi-fi Protected Access):
WPA was the second of this kind of technology. It also used the RC4 cipher algorithm with the 128 bits technology. It also used two types of authentication methods. One is TKIP, and the other is PSK (Pre-shared key.).
The WPA also had a feature named MIC ( Message Integrity Code). It served as a barrier for the password to the hackers. If the MIC ever fails, twice the device will stop transferring the data for some time.
Prototype 3: WPA2
After the WPA started showing some bugs, the WPA2 came with some new technologies. It uses the wi-fi standard of 802.11i. It also has three types of keys to protect the password: 128bits, 192bits, and 256bits.
It uses a technology named AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). The developers opt to use the RC4 cipher algorithm here. Here, the manufacturer uses the CCMP algorithm. It also uses the MIC security option.
There are two types of WPA2.
- Personal.
- Enterprise.
The difference between them is that the personal WPA2 uses the 802.11i protocol, and the enterprise uses 802.11x technology.
How WPA2 Password Works
The WPA2 protocol uses the PSK and MIC method, just like the WPA. Also, it has some additional securities.
Personal WPA2 Password
The personal WPA2 uses two-layered of security.
PSK security:
The PSK stands for the Pre-shared key. In ordinary words, only the users may know this password. If you have the password, then you can use the data. The personal WPA2 has the PSK password system.
MIC security:
The MIC is the short form of the Message Integrity Code. It verifies the keys transferred through the data packet. And when the MIC fails to match the keys twice in a row, it stops sharing data for a while.
How everything co-ordinates
First, you’ve to generate a unique password, which is the PSK. Then you name the device, which is the SSID (System Set Identifier). The two then combining make a master password.
The master key then creates an authentication password named “Session Key” through a four-way handshake. The final session key helps the wi-fi router to identify the user.
Enterprise WPA2 Password
In the Enterprise WPA2, you need to create a one time password. By using this password, the Redious server will identify your device through the verification from the access point.
Pros:
- The WPA2 password is the most protected security system.
- It uses three types of bits: 128 bits/192 bits/256 bits, which makes it almost impossible to hack the password.
- It uses the AES that is the most Advanced Encryption Standard.
Cons:
- The WPS2 protocol has only one problem. It has a WPS (Wi-fi Protected Setup) button. Whenever someone can use this button, they can easily use the network without any password.
Conclusion
In our modern age of technology, we share many personal details through our wi-fi network. So, protecting it from the trace passers must be our priority.
From our email to bank account details are now shared using the internet. Only the latest encrypted technology WPA2 password may save them from hackers. For this, we must know what is WPA2 password.
Here, in our article, we concluded that you must always remember to secure your password by using the WPA2 (AES).
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