From WEP to WPA2 and WPA3
Compare wireless encryption standards and why WPA3 wins.
The Evolution of Wi-Fi Security
Wireless encryption has improved through several standards: WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3. Each fixed weaknesses in the last. Knowing this progression, and why the older ones failed, is essential for choosing secure settings and for the Network+ exam. This lesson compares the standards and explains why WPA3 is the modern winner you should use whenever it is available.
WEP: Broken and Obsolete
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was the first Wi-Fi encryption, and it is badly broken. It uses a weak RC4 cipher with a short, reused initialization vector, letting attackers crack the key in minutes with free tools. WEP should never be used today. If you ever find a network still on WEP, treat it as effectively unencrypted and upgrade it immediately.
All lessons in this course
- Why Open Wi-Fi Is Risky
- From WEP to WPA2 and WPA3
- Personal vs Enterprise Authentication
- Hardening a Wi-Fi Router