Wi-Fi networks are secured by two separate generations of wireless security protocols called WPA3(Wi-Fi protected access 3) and WPA2(Wi-Fi protected Access2). The following are some of the main differences between WPA2 and WPA3.
The most popular wireless security protocol since its introduction in 2004 is WPA2. A 256-bit encryption key is provided and network traffic is secured using the advanced encryption standard(AES) method. WPA2 does, however, have several vulnerabilities. Researchers found a vulnerability called a key reinstallation attack(KRACK) in 2017, which enables hackers to intercept and alter data being sent over a network. This has been fixed by hardware and router makers, but it still underlines how important it is to keep routers and other devices updated with the latest security updates.
The most recent and safest Wi-Fi-protected access security protocol is WPA3. WPA3, which was released in 2018, increased security in both user and corporate modes. It fixes the vulnerability known as KRACK(key installation attacks) that was found in WPA2 in 2017.
WPA2 Vs WPA3 | Difference between WPA2 and WPA3
- WPA2 stands for Wi-Fi protected access 2, WPA3 stands for Wi-Fi protected access 3.
- WPA2 is a security protocol developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2004 for use in securing wireless networks, designed to replace the WEP and WPA protocols, while the WPA3 was released in 2018, WPA3 is the text generation of WPA and has better security features. It protects against weak passwords that are reasonably guessable and easy to break.
- WPA2 is recommended over WEP and WPA and is more secure when a Wi-Fi-protected setup(WPS) is disabled. It is not recommended over WPA3, On the other hand, WPA3 is more secure and recommended than WPA2.
- WPA2 uses the AES standard rather than the RC4stream cipher, in contrast to WEP and WPA. WPA's TKIP is replaced by CCMP. In contrast, WPA3 is 128-bit encryption in WPA3 personal mode(192-bit in WPA3-enterprise) and forward secrecy. WPA3 also replaces the pre-shared key exchange with simultaneous authentication of equals, a more secure way to do an initial key exchange.
- Even on public Wi-Fi networks, WPA3 provides customized data encryption for any device linked to the network. This improves security and privacy as every device has a unique encryption key. With WPA2, the encryption key is shared by all connected devices on the same network.
- WPA2 mandates support of PMF since early 2018. Unpatched firmware on older routers might prevent PMF from working. Protected management frames (PMF) must be used according to WPA3.
- WPA2 does not provide security for public networks, WPA3 introduces the enchanted open security mode, which uses opportunistic wireless encryption(OWE).
- WPA2 uses the pre-shared key(PSK) technique, which requires the user to submit a common password to authenticate and access the network. The dragonfly protocol, also known as a simultaneous authentication of equals(SAE) and introduced in WPA3, offers stronger protection against offline dictionary and password-guessing attacks.
- WPA2 aims to provide better protection against attack and improve overall network security, WPA3 addresses some security vulnerabilities and weaknesses found in WPA2, including the KRACK(Key Reinstallation Attack) vulnerability.