65
nN
Using Your VAIO Computer >
Using the Wireless LAN
Note on the data encryption
The WLAN standard includes the encryption methods: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which is a security protocol, Wi-Fi
Protected Access 2 (WPA2), and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Pr oposed jointly by the IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance, both WPA2
and WPA are specifications of standards based on i nteroperable security enhancements that increase the level of data
protection and access control for existing Wi-Fi networks. W PA is designed to be forward compatible with the IEEE 802.11i
specification. It utilizes the enhanced data enc ryption Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) in addition to user authentication
using 802.1X and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). Da ta encryption protects the vulnerable wireless link between
clients and access points. Besides that, there are othe r typical LAN security mechanisms to ensure privacy, such as:
password protection, end-to-end encryption, virtual private networks, and authentication. WPA2, the second generation of
WPA, provides stronger data protection and network acces s control and is also designed to secure all versions of 802.11
devices, including 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n standar ds, multi-band and multi-mode. In addition, based on the
ratified IEEE 802.11i standard, WPA2 provides government g rade security by implementing the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) FIPS 140-2 compl iant AES encryption algorithm and 802.1X-based authentica tion. WPA2
is backward compatible with WPA.