TKIP Insufficient For NIST

NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has given the thumbs down to TKIP, the encryption algorithm in WPA. This isn't to say that TKIP is weak or that any particular flaws have been found in it, but rather that a replacement for TKIP has already been found and approved by NIST. AES, which is supported by an increasing number of manufacturers, is the NIST standard for data encryption. NIST rightly figures that if they've vetted AES, and AES equipment is available, there's no need for them to bother with TKIP.
The moral of this story if you've got TKIP-only equipment right now, no need to throw it out. You're still safe. In the future, when looking for Wi-Fi equipment, you might want to choose models that also support AES.
By Chris on January 31, 2005 2:42 PM |