WEP
WEP, or Wired Equivalent Privacy, was an early wireless security protocol for local area networks that is now considered obsolete due to severe security flaws. It was designed to provide a level of security for wireless networks similar to wired networks by encrypting data using a static, shared key. However, hackers can easily crack WEP's encryption, making it a high-risk security protocol today that should be replaced by more modern standards like WPA2 or WPA3.
How it worked
Encryption: WEP used a single, static key to encrypt all traffic on a wireless network. This key was typically a string of 64 or 128 hexadecimal characters.
Authentication: It allowed devices to connect to the network using either "Open System Authentication" or "Shared Key Authentication".
Goal: The original goal was to protect wireless transmissions from outsiders, but because all devices on the network used the same key, anyone connected could decrypt all traffic.
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