---
title: New WPA3 Announced at CES 2018
description: The Wi-Fi Alliance announced the WPA3 standard at this year’s CES, signaling the dawn of a new era in network security.
---

[TTI | Network Security Insights ](https://www.turn-keytechnologies.com/blog)

# [New WPA3 Announced at CES 2018](https://www.turn-keytechnologies.com/blog/article/new-wpa3-announced-at-ces-2018)

 Written by [Tony Ridzyowski](https://www.turn-keytechnologies.com/blog/author/tony-ridzyowski) | Feb 8, 2018 8:31:00 AM

*The Wi-Fi Alliance announced the WPA3 standard at this year’s CES, signaling the dawn of a new era in network security.*

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is a destination for tech fans the world over. Last month’s 2018 installment saw the unveiling of everything from an [IoT umbrella](http://www.businessinsider.com/sunflower-8000-robotic-sun-umbrella-2018-1) to [Toyota’s self-driving concept vehicle](http://www.businessinsider.com/toyota-autonomous-vehicle-drive-on-street-or-sidewalk-2018-1) to an [assortment of devices](https://uploadvr.com/best-of-ces-2018-5-big-updates/) inching us ever-closer to truly functional consumer virtual reality.

But in spite of all these eye-catching gizmos, it can’t be denied that one of the most consequential developments at CES 2018 was the Wi-Fi Alliance’s announcement of the Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) security standard.

The Alliance — whose membership includes major industry players like Broadcom, Intel, Microsoft, and Qualcomm — is in charge of setting and maintaining cybersecurity standards for both consumer- and [enterprise](http://ttistage.landt.co/industries/enterprise/)-grade networking infrastructure.

So what are the “new features” that the [Alliance is promising](https://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wi-fi-alliance-introduces-security-enhancements) with WPA3? the first WPA3-certified devices won’t hit the market for another few months, so details remain scarce — but here’s what we know right now.

#### **Mitigating the Risks of Weak Passwords**

The Wi-Fi Alliance press release promises a WPA3 feature that will “deliver robust protections even when users choose passwords that fall short of typical complexity recommendations.” As any cybersecurity professional will tell you, that’s a much-needed development.

Despite enterprises’ best efforts in recent years, the average employee continues to choose woefully inadequate passwords. The two [most common passwords](http://ttistage.landt.co/blog/uncategorized/weak-passwords-are-still-a-risk-to-network-security/) in the corporate world are “123456” and “password.” This kind of inadequate protection makes enterprise networks extremely vulnerable to “dictionary attacks,” a subset of brute force cyberattacks that involves cycling through commonly used words and phrases until the correct password is discovered.

[Industry insiders](https://twitter.com/vanhoefm/status/950398187830988801) are speculating that WPA3 will counter this threat by blocking authentication after a certain number of failed login attempts and/or employing Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE), commonly known as [“Dragonfly.”](https://ai2-s2-pdfs.s3.amazonaws.com/d10c/b8ab2028eb317a2205c3ed179dc0b6d039c0.pdf)

#### **Improved Security for IoT Devices**

WPA3 will also “simplify the process of configuring security for devices that have limited or no display interface.” In other words, we’re finally getting a Wi-Fi security standard tailored to the [Internet of Things](http://ttistage.landt.co/blog/article/increasing-iot-adoption-brings-increasing-cybersecurity-risks/).

As of last year, there were already an astounding [8.5 billion](http://www.verizon.com/about/iot-signup) internet-connected devices in use across the world, and they’ll probably exceed [50 billion](https://www.securitysales.com/business/industry/the_internet_of_things_new_opportunities_bring_new_security_challenges/) by 2020. All those connections are providing tremendous value to consumers and enterprises alike, but it has also introduced a great deal of risk. A connected security camera or a wireless printer doesn’t offer users an easy, intuitive way to manage cybersecurity protocols.

WPA3 will provide network administrators with a better way to view the security measures running on devices without graphical interfaces, perhaps with an NFC-enabled management platform that IoT devices can easily be added to and secured on an enterprise network.

#### **Closing the “Starbucks Backdoor”**

Next, WPA3 will feature individualized data encryption for all open networks, giving a huge boost to security in a notoriously high-risk space. The insecurity of open networks at places like coffee shops and libraries has become a significant concern for enterprises as [bring-your-own-device (BYOD)](http://ttistage.landt.co/blog/uncategorized/byod-what-can-possibly-go-wrong/) policies and remote work have become increasingly common. Even the most secure enterprise network is no match for an employee laptop or smartphone that was compromised by a malicious actor on an open network.

If the new WPA3 open network encryption protocol manages to close this “backdoor,” enterprise IT teams everywhere will breathe a huge sigh of relief.

#### **Future-Proof Encryption**

Finally, the Wi-Fi Alliance has promised that WPA3 will offer 192-bit encryption aligned with the Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) Suite currently used by government agencies, defense contractors, and high-value industrial enterprises.

WPA2-certified devices are required to use either 64-bit or 128-bit encryption, and while this generally gets the job done today new, [ultra-powerful hacking technology](http://ttistage.landt.co/blog/article/how-quantum-computing-will-affect-the-future-of-networking/) on the horizon could make universal 192-bit encryption necessary sooner than we’d like to imagine.

#### **The Importance of Cybersecurity Expertise**

As promising as these upgrades are, it would be a mistake to treat WPA3 as some sort of cybersecurity savior. Cutting-edge equipment will never prevent devastating data breaches on its own — you need extensive cybersecurity expertise on your side, as well.

At [Turn-key Technologies](http://ttistage.landt.co/), we’ve spent over two decades helping enterprises design, build, and manage powerful wireless networks boasting top-notch security. We recognize that no two corporate networks are the same, and have the experience and know-how needed to craft custom networking solutions tailored to each of our client’s unique needs.

[View full post](https://www.turn-keytechnologies.com/blog/article/new-wpa3-announced-at-ces-2018)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Tony Ridzyowski"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2018-02-08T08:31:00.001Z",
  "datePublished" : "2018-02-08T08:31:00Z",
  "headline" : "New WPA3 Announced at CES 2018",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "url" : "https://324014.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/324014/Insight%20Blog%20Images/New-WPA3-Announced-1.jpg"
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.turn-keytechnologies.com/blog/article/new-wpa3-announced-at-ces-2018",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Insight Blog"
  }
}
```