Slashdot Mirror
IEEE Approves 802.11i
Dozix007 writes "IEEE has approved a
new wireless security protocol dubbed 802.11i, intended to finally
provide sufficient security for wireless connections that users don't
need to rely on alternate security layers. The new specification works
by using AES encryption
in the transceiver itself, encrypting data directly at the level just
above the actual radio pulses themselves. That makes it transparent for
applications sending data through the radio, so legacy programs running
on new 802.11i-compliant hardware will automatically get the benefits
of the new protocol without the need for modification."
Well, since encryption only involves standard processing, a firmware upgrade should be all that's required. Don't see any reason why a device would need to be created specifically for 802.11i. This is also interesting (taken from here):
Cisco, one of the largest providers of enterprise APs, said AES is supported in hardware on the IEEE 802.11g versions of AP models 1100, 1200, and the newly announced 1300 outdoor AP/bridge. However, a software upgrade for those devices will be required. Software upgrades will also be available for 802.11a, b and g card-bus and NIC cards.
Although they don't state it explicitly, it's a pretty fair bet that firmware upgrades for Linksys APs will be available at some point.
I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
I am a wireless expert.
802.11i uses AES for privacy, HMAC-SHA1 for integrity, and it defines its own protocol for establishing transient unicast and group session keys. You can use it with a pre-shared master key (derived from a simple passphrase), or you can use it conjunction with 802.1X and get per-user pairwise master keys derived from the authentication service.
The Wi-Fi Alliance (I'm told) is calling 802.11i by the name WPA2. If you have hardware that supports the AES variant of WPA, then your vendor should be able to supply a firmware upgrade soon that will support WPA2.
jhw