Mark works as a Systems Administrator for TechMart Inc. The company has a Windows-based
network. The company is adding an open, high-speed, wireless access for their customers and
secured wireless for employees at all 37 branches. He wants to check the various security concerns
for ensuring that business traffic is secured. He is also under pressure to make this new feature a
winning strategy for a company. Which of the following is the most secure protocol that Mark can
implement to ensure that the business-related traffic is encrypted?
A.
WiFi Protected Access (WPA) 2
B.
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
C.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
D.
Service Set Identifiers
Explanation:
WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) is used to provide network administrators with a high level of
assurance that only authorized users are able to access the network. It provides government grade
security by implementing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FIPS 140-2
compliant AES encryption algorithm.
Wireless Security Options are used to decrease the risk of data interception by a third party in
Wireless Networking. Data can be protected by using encryption technologies. In Wireless
Networking Connection, various methods are used to increase security as follows:
Using Wired Equivalent Privacy: The goal is to allow only authorized users to connect to the wireless
network. While initially configuring routers and network adapters, users create a WEP key. The level
of security depends on the length of the key measured in bits. Another step is to share WEP keys to
authorized users. Specifically, it is possible for unauthorized users to determine the mathematical
value of a WEP key by monitoring a sufficient amount of networking traffic. WEP is an additional
security, but it does not completely address all potential vulnerabilities.
Using Wi-Fi Protected Access: The Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol is used to provide higher security
over the WEP standard. It is considered as a replacement for the less secured WEP protocol. WPA
security is configured on a wireless router or an access point.
Using Service Set Identifiers: Service Set Identifiers are used to assist users to find and connect to a
wireless network. Whenever a wireless network adapter is available on a computer, Windows Vista
automatically identifies the available networks based on their SSID.Answer B is incorrect. Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is defined as an authentication
framework providing for the transport and usage of keying material and parameters that are
generated by EAP methods. EAP is not a wire protocol and it defines only message formats.