Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Which encryption method includes features such as per-packet mixing functions and extended IVs to strengthen security?

1. WEP

2. TKIP

3. WPA2

4. WPA3

The correct answer is: TKIP

The encryption method that incorporates features such as per-packet mixing functions and extended Initialization Vectors (IVs) to enhance security is TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol). TKIP was developed to address vulnerabilities found in WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) by implementing more sophisticated mechanisms to protect wireless communications. One of the key features of TKIP is its ability to generate a new key for each packet transmitted over the network, which helps mitigate the risks associated with key reuse that were prevalent in WEP. The per-packet mixing function adds a layer of complexity by mixing the key with the packet data itself, thereby providing better security against attacks such as replay attacks. In addition, TKIP employs longer IVs than WEP, which significantly increases the number of possible IVs and reduces the likelihood of collisions and, consequently, various attacks that thrive on the repetition of the same IV. These measures contribute to making TKIP substantially more secure than WEP, while still being compatible with the legacy hardware that was in use during its introduction. While WPA2 and WPA3 also offer improved security features over WEP, they utilize more advanced encryption protocols—such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)—rather than employing TKIP's specific features like per-packet