Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Which encryption technique improves upon WEP by using TKIP for data encryption?

1. WPA

2. WPA2

3. WPA3

4. WEP

The correct answer is: WPA

The technique that improves upon WEP by employing TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) for data encryption is WPA, which stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access. WEP, the original security protocol for wireless networks, has known vulnerabilities, particularly its weak key management and susceptibility to various attack vectors. WPA was developed as a response to these weaknesses, introducing TKIP to offer better security. TKIP dynamically changes the encryption keys as the system is used, which significantly enhances the protection against brute-force attacks compared to the static key used in WEP. This innovative approach helps to ensure that even if an attacker manages to capture one key, they cannot exploit it indefinitely. While WPA2 and WPA3 build upon the advancements made by WPA, including the introduction of AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) in WPA2 and additional security features in WPA3, it is WPA that specifically utilizes TKIP. Therefore, the identification of WPA as the answer correctly highlights the direct improvement made from WEP through the use of TKIP for encryption.