AMX MVP-8400i manual Tkip, WPA Overview

Appendix B - Wireless Technology

TKIP

Short for Temporal Key Integration, is part of the IEEE 802.11i encryption standard for wireless LANs. TKIP provides per-packet key mixing, message integrity check and re-keying mechanism, thus ensuring every data packet is sent with its own unique encryption key. Key mixing increases the complexity of decoding the keys by giving the hacker much less data that has been encrypted using any one key.

WEP

Short for Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), is a scheme used to secure wireless networks (Wi-Fi). A wireless network broadcasts messages using radio which are particularly susceptible to hacker attacks. WEP was intended to provide the confidentiality and security comparable to that of a traditional wired network. As a result of identified weaknesses in this scheme, WEP was superseded by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and then by the full IEEE 802.11i standard (also known as WPA2).

WPA

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) is a class of system used to secure wireless (Wi-Fi) computer networks. It was created in response to several serious weaknesses researchers had found in the previous WEP system. WPA implements the majority of the IEEE 802.11i standard, and was intended as an intermediate measure to take the place of WEP while 802.11i was prepared (WPA2).

WPA is designed to work with all wireless network interface cards, but not necessarily with first generation wireless access points.

To resolve problems with WEP, the Wi-Fi Alliance released WPA (FIG. 79) which integrated 802.1x, TKIP and MIC. Within the WPA specifications the RC4 cipher engine was maintained from WEP. RC4 is widely used in SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to protect internet traffic.

FIG. 79 WPA Overview

MVP-8400i Modero Viewpoint Wireless Touch Panels 171