Networking / Beginners

Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)

WPA2 is based on the ratified version of the IEEE 802.11i standard. This makes it quite different from plain WPA, which was a stop-gap measure based on draft versions of the IEEE 802.11i standard. WPA2 is the Wi-Fi Alliance's moniker for its implementation of the final IEEE 802.11i standard.

WPA2 has several components, discussed in the following sections, that can work individually or collectively to provide what the IEEE 802.11i subcommittee calls a "robust security network."

Key Management

The keys are the jewels in any crypto system because they are used in the encryption and decryption process. Key management, an important aspect of any cryptographic system, includes the following:

  • A mechanism to protect the keys
  • A mechanism for the communicating parties to use in agreeing on the secret keys to use
  • A mechanism for ensuring that unauthorized parties cannot use the keys
  • A mechanism for ensuring that the keys are used for their intended purpose
  • A secure method for distributing or transporting the secret keys to the parties that need them
  • Automatic and periodic generation of new keys
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In this tutorial:

  1. Securing Wireless Networks
  2. Security Background
  3. Security Services
  4. Cryptographic Concepts and Terms
  5. Encryption and Decryption
  6. Keyspace
  7. Exclusive OR (XOR)
  8. Algorithm
  9. Asymmetric Encryption Algorithms
  10. Public-Private Key Cryptography
  11. Cipher
  12. Concealment Ciphers vs. Running Key Ciphers
  13. Stream Ciphers vs. Block Ciphers
  14. Cipher Examples
  15. Cipher Implementations
  16. Wi-Fi Protected Access
  17. TKIP/WPA
  18. Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)
  19. CCMP/AES
  20. Hash Functions
  21. EAP
  22. EAP Entities
  23. EAP Grammar
  24. EAP Types
  25. EAP-TTLS
  26. EAP-PSK
  27. EAP-SIM
  28. EAP-AKA
  29. IEEE 802.11i
  30. Four-Way Handshake
  31. IEEE 802.11i Considerations