Question

Briefly explain how WEP implementation violates the cardinal rule of cryptography: anything that creates a detectable pattern must be avoided.

Answer 1

WEP implementation violates the cardinal rule of cryptography by creating detectable patterns. It used a static encryption key and a weak initialization vector (IV), making it susceptible to attacks. WEP also lacked a secure mechanism to authenticate devices.

Step-by-step explanation:

WEP implementation violates the cardinal rule of cryptography because it creates a detectable pattern. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was a security protocol used to secure wireless networks. However, it used a flawed encryption algorithm that allowed attackers to decrypt traffic by analyzing patterns in the encrypted data.

1. For example, WEP used a static encryption key that remained the same over time, making it susceptible to attacks. By analyzing multiple encrypted packets, an attacker could find patterns in the encrypted data and calculate the encryption key used.
2. Additionally, WEP used a weak initialization vector (IV) that repeated after a certain number of packets. This repetition created a detectable pattern that attackers could exploit to crack the encryption.
3. Furthermore, WEP did not provide a secure mechanism to authenticate devices connecting to the network. This allowed attackers to impersonate legitimate devices and gain unauthorized access.

In summary, WEP violated the cardinal rule of cryptography by creating detectable patterns in its implementation, making it vulnerable to attacks.