Wi-Fi Security Tightened in Windows XP

Taking its first steps improve security of wireless networks, Microsoft issued a patch for Windows XP that enables support for Wi-Fi Protected Access.

WPA serves as an interim solution for bolstering security, while the IEEE works to ratify 802.11i, a new wireless networking standard that is slated for completion by the end of the year.

"Customers tell us the wireless experience with Windows XP represents a huge leap forward in terms of ease of use. Yet, even with these enhancements, many IT managers are hesitant to enable wireless connectivity in their organizations due to security concerns," said Jawad Khaki, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Windows Networking and Communications Technologies.

Security issues have plagued Wi-Fi since its inception and continue to hinder wireless growth among businesses. WPA aims to resolve current security weaknesses by replacing WEP encryption with Temporal Key Integrity Protocol. TKIP introduces a stronger encryption algorithm and allows for automatic generation and distribution of encryption keys. WPA also adds an integrity check to prevent an attacker from modifying packets while they are being transmitted.

"With standards-based Wi-Fi Protected Access, customers can have more confidence their data will be safer and more secure," said Khaki.

In order to make use of WPA, wireless access points and network adapters must also be updated to support the new standard. Hardware vendors are expected to soon release updated firmware and drivers that are WPA-compatible. The patch for Windows XP "updates the wireless network configuration dialog boxes to support new WPA options," according to Microsoft.

To download the Windows XP patch for Wireless Protected Access, visit FileForum. More information on WPA and utilizing the new standard in Windows XP can be found in Microsoft's Knowledge Base article.