What Security Type is My WiFi?
There are four types of security keys available for wifi routers. Among four, your wifi router would be using any one of them.
Now, you would be thinking as to what security type is my wifi?. It’s a common question.
Security type plays a vital role in whether hackers can hack your connection or not. It is the core security of any wifi router. Without wasting any of your time. Let’s dive straight into the topic.
4 Types of Security Wifi – Which one are you using?
As stated earlier, a wifi router uses any of the 4 security types. Let’s read each of the four with details so that you will understand “what security type is my wifi” and how you will get the most out of it.
1. The Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) Protocol
This wifi security type is the oldest among all four types. It was established in 1997. Although WEP has been observed as the weakest security, old computer devices still use it because it’s not that old according to its age.
2. The wifi Protected Access (WPA) Protocol
WPA is regarded as WEP’s inheritor. The protocol was developed when many faults in WEP were noted. Unlike its elder brother, WPA supports Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).
TKIP is too tough to be broken as it’s a dynamic 128-bit key, while WPA was easily breakable. In addition, a feature of Message Integrity Check was also introduced in WPA. It inspects any modified packets that hackers send to the victim’s device.
3. The wifi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) Protocol
WPA2 has maintained the family of security types and succeeded WPA in the field and comes with fantastic security features that one can not find in WPA.
Data encryption uses Counter Mode Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol (CCMP) instead of TKIP. No doubt, CCMP is better than TKIP.
WPA2 has been prominent since 2004, globally. The wifi Alliance had also announced that all the wifi devices would have to use WPA2 in the future. They reported it on March 13, 2006. And now, we all can see their announcement being true.
4. The wifi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) Protocol
Since 2019, developers have been producing WPA3 routers, the youngest wifi security types list.
With a WPA3 router, you can connect your no-display devices to wifi easier than ever before. Data encryptions are much safer than earlier. With that said, hackers have a tough time cracking your data on a public network connection.
How to Check Wifi Security Types in Your Device?
It’s time to check your wifi security type. If you’re using the old protocol, change it immediately.
What Security Type Is My WiFi – How to Check Wifi Security Types in Your Device
Let’s discuss the way to find your Wifi security type on different devices.
In an iOS device:
Sadly, iOS can’t detect the wifi security type. To know, sign in to the router through your computer or a smartphone.
On a Windows 10 PC:
Go to the wifi bar on Windows 10. Tap on it.
Now, click on Properties.
Check the wifi information provided in Properties.
Now, you can easily check your wifi Protocol type.
Within an Android device:
Go to the phone’s settings.
Select the wifi settings.
Visit the router your wifi is connected to. You will get all the information there only.
In macOS PC:
Visit the toolbar, and tap on the wifi icon.
Here, you can easily check all the wifi details.
Now that you know what security type is my wifi. Let’s move to why it is necessary to know.
Why Knowing About wifi Security Type Is Essential?
It is essential to know about your wifi security type due to data security reasons. One should use the new protocols since such protocols use new techniques to fight against hackers and security intruders.
Older versions often fail to do so, which results in a security breach of your wifi connection, and it can harm your privacy.
Why is a Newer wifi Protocol Preferred Over an Older One?
Developers had made older versions when they didn’t know much about hackers and their hacking techniques.
In older days, even hacking wasn’t this trending. Resultantly, security wasn’t given the attention it needed. As a result, hackers use these weaknesses (exploits) to attack the system.
New protocols have fixed these issues and contain additional features to win over cyber thieves.
When talking about protocols, WPE is the oldest security type protocol. Therefore, hackers have now observed numerous exploits in it.
So, if you have a wifi connection having WPE security type, then chances are that your security might get hacked since it’s weak. So, try not to use wifi with the WPE security type.
Take Away!
As beneficial as the digital world is, it also paves the way for hackers to steal your crucial information and use it against you. The same goes for your wifi connection.
Your data isn’t safe if your wifi security type is weak! It would be excellent if you understood what your wifi security type is and whether it requires any changes or not.
Hence, whenever you get a new wifi connection, first ask yourself, ‘what security type is my wifi?”. Then try to secure it if your wifi has a weak security type.
Knowing all these tactics of the cyber world will help you fight against cybercriminals.