A security protocol for wireless local area networks defined in the standard IEEE 802.11b.
WEP is a data encryption standard, specified in the 802.11 standards from the IEEE, that is designed to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a level of security and privacy comparable to what is usually expected of a wired LAN. A wired local area network (LAN) is generally protected by physical security mechanisms that are effective for a controlled physical environment, but may be ineffective for WLANs because radio waves are not necessarily bound by the walls containing the network. WEP sought to establish similar protection to that offered by the wired network's physical security measures by encrypting data transmitted over the WLAN. 40 bit WEP encryption is specified in the 802.11 standards. Access Point Manufactures went beyond that and offered 128 bit WEP encryption, however this is not part of the 802.11 standards.Although WEP is sufficient to protect data from most would be hackers, WEP encryption is vulnerable to those with the know how and the tools to break the encryption keys. Other methods such as password protection, end-to-end encryption, virtual private networks (VPNs), and authentication can be put in place to ensure privacy.
The optional cryptographic confidentiality algorithm specified by 802.11 used to provide data confidentiality that is subjectively equivalent to the confidentiality of a wired LAN medium that does not employ cryptographic techniques to enhance privacy.
Wired equivalent privacy (WEP) is a set of security services used to protect 802.11 wireless networks from unauthorized access. WEP services prevent network intrusions that can result from unauthorized persons using hardware similar to that deployed on the protected network. Additionally, WEP services prevent the capture of wireless LAN traffic, also known as eavesdropping.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a scheme that is part of the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard to secure IEEE 802.11 wireless networks (also known as Wi-Fi networks). Because a wireless network broadcasts messages using radio, it is particularly susceptible to eavesdropping.