Wi-Fi security protocol will be getting a huge update after more than a decade, 14 years. This was confirmed as Wi-Fi Alliance launched the next-generation security standard for Wi-Fi, WPA3 on Monday to certify the shift. WPA3 is a successor to the existing WPA2 security protocol which has been in use since 2004. WPA3 promises to solve many vulnerabilities existing in the current model of wireless security standard.
One big improvement on the new security protocol is that it makes it harder for hackers to crack your password by multiple guessing. It also limits the data hackers are able to see after they have passed through your password. Nothing will really change from the traditional way users see it and are able to type in a password for a connection to the network.
Hackers are able to make a single guess
Another new feature introduced in WPA3 is protection against password-cracking attacks. It’s mainly where hackers are able to capture data from your Wi-Fi network, take it to a PC and deciphers your password by guess over and over again for a match using other tools. With WPA3, the offline data becomes useless after hackers are able to make a single guess against it. They will rather be required to interact with the live Wi-Fi device each time to make a guess, which is going to be hard since a physical presence is required to set up the device for a new guess. Users are also able to set up their Router for protection against repeated guesses.
Wi-Fi Alliance also highlighted that the WPA3 supports forward secrecy, a privacy feature that prevents the compromise of older data by a later attack. That means hackers won’t be able to read old data even if they are able to capture an encrypted Wi-Fi stream and crack the password. They can only see new information being transmitted over the network. These additions are also applicable to personal Wi-Fi use an enterprise setup, such as a large office where users are provided with different passwords. However, protection levels will be different.
WPA3 protections won’t be available immediately
Please note that the WPA3 protections will take some time to be available. In fact, this may take many years. Considering the transition process, users will be required to buy WPA3 supported routers; if you are lucky enough your old one may support it. This also applies to the gadgets that must connect to the network; new ones or be upgraded if they support the new security protocol. It is expected that WPA3 supported devices can also connect with WPA2 routers, so new gadgets are not supposed to be the challenge once available but the routers.
WPA3 is expected to roll out to revamp up from next year, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance. Hence, new products are not mandated to feature the new standard for now. Similarly, the new standard of Wi-Fi itself, 802.11ax, will also be hitting mass adoption at the ending of 2019.