We are moving towards the era of Internet of Things (IoT), and Wi-Fi is as indispensable as air, sunshine and water in our daily life. However, network security is also facing unprecedented challenges as Wi-Fi networks have been at risk due to the vulnerable WPA2 security encryption protocol.
Recently, Ruijie Networks took the lead among Chinese networking vendors and became China’s first wireless network vendor that received the WPA3 certificate from the Wi-Fi Alliance. Meanwhile, chips and software from technology giants such as Apple, Intel, Qualcomm and Microsoft all have started to support WPA3, making us closer to an era of highly secure Wi-Fi networks. 
▲WP3 certificate granted by the Wi-Fi Alliance for the RG-AP7XX wireless access point (AP) products
Why is WPA3 such a trend? Dating back to October 2017 when the WPA2, an encryption mechanism released in 2004, was fully hacked by a fatal loophole named “KRACK”, such an attack had immediate impact on all Wi-Fi users. Under the WPA2 encryption protocol, hackers can forcibly hack Wi-Fi networks via a code dictionary and monitor network traffic on all devices, becoming an intermediary between wireless terminals and servers. Nowadays, people’s tendency to take advantage of Wi-Fi networks in public places such as hotels, cafes, shopping malls, airports and public vehicles happens to make way for hackers. 
Therefore, we are in urgent need of replacing the “old” WPA2 with WPA3. In June 2018, the Wi-Fi Alliance released the new wireless security standard WPA3, which greatly enhanced Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Main enhancements include: the replacement of 128-bit secret keys with 192-bit secret keys; the capability of preventing hacking via a code dictionary, KRACK attacks, DEAUTH attacks, and wiretapping; improving protection of user privacy in public and open Wi-Fi networks as well as protection of key networks. 
Ruijie stated that being granted the WPA3 certificate meant a lot in terms of security. The new functions of WPA3 include: simplified Wi-Fi security settings for both public and enterprise Wi-Fi networks; a more reliable identity authentication mechanism; higher encryption strength in secret-related environments such as government agencies that are highly sensitive to data security. In the new security protocol of WPA3, users can assign passwords for IoT devices via their mobile devices, further enhancing the network security for scenarios of Internet of Everything (IoE). 
In recent years, Ruijie has been working on creating “visible and quality wireless experience” by leveraging innovative technologies, such as AI analysis, automatic scene recognition optimization, network phenomenon interpretability and fully automatic networking, to meet the growing demands in the era of IoE. Meanwhile, Ruijie also takes advantage of its wireless solutions and improved network security technologies to meet the growing demands of industry users in higher education, general education, healthcare and enterprises to guarantee the connection, perception and security of everything.