Microsoft beefs up Wi-Fi security
PC World | at | by Mike
Microsoft has added a key wireless LAN security specification to Windows XP, the company announced this week.
The specification, called Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 or WPA2, requires a Wi-Fi client to include the AES algorithm for encrypting data traversing a Wi-Fi network. AES is the type of encryption used in many government agencies and security-conscious industries.
WPA2 is an implementation of IEEE 802.11i, the wireless LAN security standard established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which oversees wireless LAN standards. The new, free software from Microsoft supports all features of WPA2, according to Taranjeet Athwal, a Microsoft program manager.