Better security and quality promised for Wi-Fi

Two key improvements for the security and performance quality of Wi-Fi devices are scheduled to reach wireless network users this year as the adoption of wireless technology continues to grow within businesses and home users. The Wi-Fi Alliance will certify products for the new 802.11i and 802.11e standards by September, said Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. The 802.11i standard is the complete version of the preliminary security standard WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) introduced last year, while 802.11e is a new standard that will improve the quality of wireless networks that transmit voice and video.

Security has been one of the biggest obstacles to the growth of wireless networking. Last year, WPA replaced the flawed WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocol to shore up wireless security before the full 802.11i standard could be ratified. WPA uses a dynamic encryption key as opposed to the static key used by WEP, and it also improves the user authentication process.

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