WPA2

WPA2, short for Wi-Fi Protected Access 2, is a security protocol used to secure wireless networks. It was developed as part of the IEEE 802.11i standard and released in 2004–2005 as the successor to WEP and the original WPA. WPA2 provides stronger data encryption and improved integrity protections for Wi‑Fi networks.

WPA2 encrypts traffic using AES-CCMP; TKIP was part of WPA and is deprecated but may be supported for legacy devices in some networks; modern WPA2 deployments require CCMP/AES. Two authentication modes exist: WPA2-Personal (pre-shared key) for home networks, and WPA2-Enterprise (802.1X with RADIUS) for business networks. Operation relies on a four-way handshake to establish fresh encryption keys; it derives a PMK from the PSK or from 802.1X credentials, then creates a pair of temporal keys for each session.

Security considerations include strong confidentiality and integrity when configured with a strong passphrase and up-to-date firmware. A notable vulnerability, KRACK, was disclosed in 2017 and exploited weaknesses in the four-way handshake; patches were released and widely deployed to mitigate risk. WPA2-Personal can be susceptible to offline dictionary attacks if the passphrase is weak, so using long, random passphrases is advised. Practices such as disabling WPS and keeping devices updated further reduce risk.

Relation to WPA3: WPA3 is the successor introduced in 2018, offering stronger protections and easier use. Many devices still rely on WPA2 due to compatibility and deployment realities, but WPA3 is gradually becoming standard in new equipment.