Final answer:
SAE is the WLAN security protocol used to encrypt 802.11 traffic across mesh backhaul links, providing better security than PSK and without the need for 802.1X/EAP's complex infrastructure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) security that is typically used to encrypt and provide data privacy for 802.11 traffic across mesh backhaul links is Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE). SAE is a security protocol also known as WPA3-SAE, which is the third iteration of the Wi-Fi Protected Access security protocol. It enhances security over WPA2's Pre-Shared Key (PSK) by using a more secure key establishment protocol between devices. SAE is designed to provide better protection against offline dictionary attacks compared to Pre-Shared Key (PSK) without requiring the infrastructure for 802.1X/EAP, which is better suited for enterprise environments with a central authentication server. While IPsec may be used for securing IP traffic over different types of networks, including WANs, it is not typically used specifically within WLAN mesh networks. Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) is unrelated to WLAN security, as it deals with router redundancy rather than data encryption.