WPA2 CCMP: importance and security of the network standard

The terms WPA2 and CCMP are often used in connection with WLANs. We explain what is behind it and what you need to know.

WPA2 CCMP: Most secure WiFi encryption possible

So that you can correctly classify the terms and the technology behind them, a quick look at the development of WLAN encryption is recommended:

1. The first encryption technology for WLANs was called WEP. This encryption protocol uses an RC4 stream cipher and is now considered very insecure. Under optimal conditions, it can be levered out in a few minutes.
2. The successor to WEP is called WPA and is based on the encryption method (RC4) from WEP. However, it is now implemented by a process called TKIP, which uses dynamic keys.
3. WPA-TKIP is therefore much safer than WEP, but remains relatively easy to attack from today's perspective.
4. The most current and safest procedure is called WPA2-CCMP. The CCMP (Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol) protocol implements the AES encryption method, which is considered to be very secure.
5. There is also an AES variant of WPA, but it is very unlikely that a terminal device will support AES but not WPA2. This variant makes little sense.
6. When setting up your WLAN, you should therefore definitely use the WPA2-CCMP (AES) variant (see screenshot). Almost all current end devices support this standard and your connection is also secure.

We give you other useful tips on how to secure your WLAN.