Which mechanism was used in the first version of WPA to improve security over WEP?

Which mechanism was used in the first version of WPA to improve security over WEP?

• A. AES-CCMP
• B. WEP
• C. AES
• D. Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)

Answer: (D)

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol was used. It keeps RC4 for compatibility but adds per-packet keying and a stronger integrity check, addressing WEP’s main weaknesses. TKIP derives a unique RC4 key for each frame by combining a secret temporal key with the packet’s IV, prevents key reuse across frames, and includes a Michael-based MAC to detect tampering. This upgrade made WPA usable with existing hardware, unlike AES-based CCMP, which arrives with WPA2.

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol was used. It keeps RC4 for compatibility but adds per-packet keying and a stronger integrity check, addressing WEP’s main weaknesses. TKIP derives a unique RC4 key for each frame by combining a secret temporal key with the packet’s IV, prevents key reuse across frames, and includes a Michael-based MAC to detect tampering. This upgrade made WPA usable with existing hardware, unlike AES-based CCMP, which arrives with WPA2.