Buying A New WiFi Router? Make Sure It Is WPA3 Compatible

If you’re in the market for a new WiFi router, there’s one thing that you should make sure it comes with, which is WPA3 support. WPA3 is the successor to the WPA2 security standard that we’ve used for the last few years on routers. It’s decent, but it does have weaknesses:

  • An attacker can capture an encrypted data stream from your router and then carry out an offline dictionary attack. That can allow them to break into your router later once they figure out what the password is.
  • If someone carries out the above attack, they will be able to decrypt the data they already hold.

WPA3 which the WiFi Alliance has officially started certifying, addresses these issues and offers these enhancements:

  • A more robust password-based authentication system that reduces the chances of a hacker guessing your password.
  • Individualized data encryption to protect against Wi-Fi eavesdropping
  • The ability to protect data traffic even if a password is compromised after the data was transmitted.
  • 192-bit minimum-strength security protocols
  • A quick-setup option for devices

Devices with WPA3 will be backwards compatible with WPA2 so it won’t break your existing devices. It will be rolling out to new devices this year. If you’re in the market for a WiFi router, future proof yourself by making sure it is WPA3 compatible.

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