What are the Different Security Protocols?

The use of the internet is increasing day-by-by, and the advent of Wireless Networks makes it more convenient and affordable for users. Today, Wireless Networks are common in homes and businesses as they ease and simplify tasks.

However, no matter how convenient wireless networks are, there are always security risks. They transmit and receive data using radio waves rather than wires. This lack of physical barrier makes it easy for hackers to get into your network unlawfully and responsible for a range of other cybersecurity issues, even if it is password enabled. Most professional hackers know ‘How to hack WiFi Password.‘ As there is always a solution for a problem, Thanks to the security protocols that help secure wireless networks effectively.

Different types of wireless security protocols were developed in the 1990s for wireless network protection. The four main wireless security protocols are WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3, serving the same purpose differently at the same time.

Let’s jump onto the different types of wireless security protocols and get familiar with their roles.

4 Different Types of Wireless Security Protocols

These wireless security protocols not only prevent unwanted parties from connecting your network but also encrypt your private data sent from the airways. Let’s have a closer look at different security protocols.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

Developed by WiFi Alliance in the late 1990s and approved as the wireless security standard in September 1999, WEP was the first encryption algorithm developed for the 802.11 standards. It was supposed to offer the same security as wired networks; unfortunately, there are lots of well-known security issues that are easy to break and hard to configure. After the work has been done on its security improvement, it is found that the system that relies on this protocol should be updated or replaced if a security update is not possible.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

Simply put, WPA is the temporary security enhancement for WEP. When the flaws were discovered in WEP, WPA was created as the new wireless security protocol to ensure security. It was released by Wi-Fi Alliance in 2003 as a temporary replacement. Even though WPA is considered as the interim security protocol, it is an improvement over WEP. The best of this security protocol is it has distinct modes for personal and business use to improve security.

The key feature of this security protocol for personal use is it is easier to implement and manage the network. And when it comes to business and enterprise mode, it requires an administrator to authenticate a device before it can access the network. This allows larger companies to have more control over the employees who have access to the data.

Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)

Introduced in 2004, WPA2 is an 802.11i wireless security-based protocol. With a few security vulnerabilities, WPA2 is still considered the most secure wireless security protocol available for personal and business use. WPA2 has several security improvements over WPA. These include,

• It is replacing TKIP and the RC4 cipher with stronger authentication and encryption mechanisms – CCMP (Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). If your device can’t support CCMP, the security is still compatible with TKIP. This means WPA2 is compatible with all devices and wireless networks.
• It allows the use of AES, originally developed by the United States Government to protect the classification data from international and domestic hackers.
• CCMP prevents everyone except authorized users from receiving data through cipher block chaining.

Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3)

WPA3 will give you high security at home. While WPA2 allows hackers to take as many shots as they want at guessing your credentials without being on the same network, WPA3 protects against dictionary attacks by implementing a new key exchange protocol. The other benefit that comes with WPA3 is your password never gets compromised. With this new handshake, WPA3 supports forward secrecy which means that any traffic that comes across your transom before an unwanted person gets access will remain encrypted.

These four wireless security protocols prevent outsiders from getting access to your networks and data breach.

Is It Legal To Hack WiFi?

Hacking is considered a punishable offence in countries all across the world, including the USA. While each country has a specific set of regulations, this offense is governed by either a common or specific departmental body. In India, hacking WI-Fi comes under IT Act 2000.

However, hacking your own WiFi is not a crime yet. Amendments to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) were implemented to allow Americans to hack their own Wi-Fi-enabled devices without fearing law enforcement.

US Law only addresses the US Government Computers that have been used in Financial institutions and the FBI. Hereby, it is clear that WiFi Hacking is not a crime unless you’re offending someone.

Can Someone Hack My Phone Using WiFi?

With emerging technologies, society is becoming a puppet of internet-enabled devices. Moreover, the increased development of smartphone technologies has boomed a situation where mobile phone hacking is high in demand.

So, if you wonder whether or not someone can hack your phone using WiFi, the answer is YES. It is possible to access your smartphone, especially if you’re using Public WiFi. While both Android and iPhone are constantly working on upgrading their WiFi security, hackers are coming up with new strategies to break through your smartphones.

You should be on alert while using the WiFi network that you are open and you’re not familiar with. While hacking used to be tough earlier, easy access to the internet has contributed to a number of new hacking-prone minds.

How To Protect Your Phone From Being Hacked?

If you don’t want to be a victim of phishing or any other cybercrime, you must learn how to protect your phone from being hacked. There are a few certain things or software in your phone that every hacker will use as access to hacking your smartphone. To help you prevent this, here is a step-by-step guide on how to protect your phone from being hacked!

• Be extra cautious when using Public WiFi networks. In fact, you need to be extra careful while using any wireless network, even if you’re on someone’s hotspot.
• Always use strong passwords, most probably the ones suggested by the system itself.
• Enable password protection and save your password.
• Keep a track of the sites you use and the software you install in your system.

These are a few things that you can bring into your habit to protect yourself from any cyber attack or phishing.