The Wi-Fi alliance announced a new and improved next-generation Wi-Fi security for personal and enterprise networks dubbed “WiFi CERTIFIED WPA3.”
The new security protocol, WPA3, brings improved authentication and encryption to wireless networks at home and the enterprise.
An excerpt from the Monday announcement reads:
“Wi-Fi Alliance® introduces Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WPA3™, the next generation of Wi-Fi® security, bringing new capabilities to enhance Wi-Fi protections in personal and enterprise networks. Building on the widespread adoption of WPA2™ over more than a decade, WPA3™ adds new features to simplify Wi-Fi security, enable more robust authentication, and deliver increased cryptographic strength for highly sensitive data markets. As the Wi-Fi industry transitions to WPA3 security, WPA2 devices will continue to interoperate and provide recognized security.”
Two key capabilities of WPA3 include WPA3-Personal and WPA3-Enterprise.
WPA3-Personal includes a more resilient and secure password-based authentication and key establishment protocol, Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE). SAE helps provide stronger protections between devices and for users against password guessing attempts by attackers or third parties.
WPA3-Enterprise includes 192-bit cryptographic strength to improve network and data protections of transmitting sensitive data.
“The 192-bit security suite ensures a consistent combination of cryptographic tools are deployed across WPA3 networks,” the Wi-Fi alliance said.
Wi-Fi also announced new feature called “Wi-Fi Easy Connect” that “enables users to securely add any device to a Wi-Fi network using another device with a more robust interface, such as a smartphone, by simply scanning a product quick response (QR) code.”
The announcement included widespread industry support from technology leaders such as Cisco, Broadcom, HP, Intel, Qualcomm Technologies and others.