WPA2 Security Now Mandatory For Wi-Fi Certified Products

Austin, TX -- The Wi-Fi Alliance announced that the WPA2 security certification program, the second generation of Wi-Fi Protected Access, is now a mandatory feature for all new Wi-Fi Certified products, marking the next step in the evolution of Wi-Fi security. Nearly 600 products have been Wi-Fi Certified for WPA2 since it was introduced as an optional program in September 2004, building on the existing WPA program.

WPA2 is fully compatible with WPA, the first generation of Wi-Fi Certified security, and brings the technology two generations past WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), the original security method for Wi-Fi networks.

"By requiring WPA2 for all Wi-Fi Certified products, we're making it easy for people to be confident that the very latest generation of security is there, built in, and ready to use," said Wi-Fi Alliance Managing Director Frank Hanzlik. "WPA2 helps ensure that only authorized users can access a network, and that the data they send and receive can't be compromised."

"Elevating the requirements for certification ensures users have access to the very latest security technology," said Craig Matthias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group in Ashland, MA. "With nearly 600 products implementing and certifying WPA2 certification before it became mandatory, the industry has demonstrated its overwhelming support for this standard and desire to deliver on end-user expectations for security and authentication."

WPA2 is based upon the full IEEE 802.11i standard, including the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is "government-grade" data encryption developed by the U. S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. WPA2 can be configured to support the earlier WPA security protocol.

There are two types of WPA2: Personal and Enterprise. The WPA2-Personal implementation, designed for consumer use, encrypts data with AES and uses a password to establish access to the Wi-Fi network.

WPA2-Enterprise encrypts data with AES and verifies the identity of network users using Extensible Authentication Protocol, or EAP. The WPA2-Enterprise program includes testing for five widely-deployed EAP types to cater to a variety of usage scenarios and device types.

SOURCE: The Wi-Fi Alliance