Security Features of WiFi 6E: What You Need to Know

Welcome to Blackview blog. Hope the guide helps.

WiFi technology has come a long way over the past few years. From the early days of slow connections to the high-speed networks we now rely on, each new version brings improvements in speed, efficiency, and security. The latest evolution is WiFi 6E, which extends the capabilities of WiFi 6 by adding access to the 6 GHz frequency band. With more devices connecting to WiFi than ever before, having a strong focus on security is critical. This guide explains the key security features of WiFi 6E, why they matter, and how they protect your network and data.

Before diving into the security features, it’s helpful to understand what WiFi 6E is. Click here to learn what is WiFi 6E.

Key Security Features of WiFi 6E

WiFi 6E builds upon the security features of previous WiFi standards, offering stronger protection for users. Here are the primary security features of WiFi 6E:

1. WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3) Encryption

WiFi 6E devices are required to support WPA3 encryption, the latest version of Wi-Fi encryption. WPA3 provides several key security improvements over its predecessor, WPA2, and is designed to protect users from common attacks such as brute-force attempts and eavesdropping.

Improved Encryption: WPA3 uses 192-bit encryption in WPA3-Enterprise mode, offering stronger protection for sensitive data in professional or enterprise settings. For home users, 128-bit encryption is used in WPA3-Personal mode, still providing a significant security boost compared to WPA2.

Enhanced Protection Against Password Guessing: WPA3’s Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) protocol makes it more difficult for attackers to guess your password. Even if someone tries to brute-force attack your password, WPA3 limits the number of guesses they can make before the connection is reset.

Forward Secrecy: WPA3 also ensures that if someone were to intercept and crack the encryption key in the future, they would not be able to decrypt past communications. This feature is known as forward secrecy, and it’s especially important for safeguarding sensitive data over time.

• Read also: Can your phone be tracked if you closed the location services?

2. Wi-Fi Enhanced Open

WiFi 6E also supports Wi-Fi Enhanced Open, a feature designed to secure open Wi-Fi networks, such as those you might find in cafes, airports, or hotels. Traditionally, open networks have been unencrypted, leaving users vulnerable to eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle attacks. Wi-Fi Enhanced Open uses Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) to encrypt data even on open networks, improving security without requiring a password.

Automatic Encryption: When you connect to a WiFi 6E network with Wi-Fi Enhanced Open, your data is automatically encrypted, reducing the risk of attackers intercepting your information.

No Passwords Required: Unlike WPA3, which requires a password, Wi-Fi Enhanced Open protects your data without needing one, making it ideal for public networks where setting up passwords for every user is impractical.

3. Device-Level Security with WPA3-Personal

For home users, WPA3-Personal offers advanced protection for individual devices. Many people have smart devices in their homes, from phones to smart TVs to voice assistants. Each device is a potential entry point for hackers, making it essential to have secure connections between them.

Protection on Weak Passwords: While it’s always a good idea to use a strong password, WPA3-Personal is more resilient to weak passwords compared to WPA2. This is especially useful for home networks where users may not always follow the best password practices.

Individualized Data Encryption: In WPA3-Personal, each device gets its own encryption key, meaning that even if one device is compromised, the others are still safe.

4. Improved Authentication Methods

WiFi 6E supports modern, stronger authentication methods that make it harder for unauthorized users to access your network. These include:

EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol): For enterprise environments, EAP is used in conjunction with WPA3-Enterprise to verify user credentials before granting access to the network. This ensures that only authorized users and devices can connect.

2-Factor Authentication: WPA3-Enterprise can also integrate with multi-factor authentication (MFA) systems, adding an additional layer of protection beyond just a username and password.

5. Better Protection Against KRACK and Other Attacks

WiFi 6E has been designed with improved resilience against well-known attacks such as KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attack), which was discovered to exploit vulnerabilities in WPA2 encryption. WPA3 and WiFi 6E include fixes for KRACK and similar vulnerabilities, making your network much more difficult to hack.

Key Reinstallation Protection: WiFi 6E ensures that encryption keys used in WPA3 are not vulnerable to being reinstalled during a handshake process, which was the flaw that KRACK exploited.

• Read also: Bluetooth Hacking: You need to know

6. Increased Frequency Spectrum Privacy

With WiFi 6E operating on the new 6 GHz band, there is a higher level of privacy compared to older WiFi generations. Since this frequency band is newer, fewer devices and networks are operating on it, reducing the risk of interference and eavesdropping.

Less Congestion, Less Interference: Fewer devices currently operate on the 6 GHz band, which means less congestion and reduced chances of signal interception by malicious parties.

7. Advanced Network Management and Control

WiFi 6E also introduces better tools for managing and controlling your network, making it easier to spot potential security risks and fix them quickly.

Advanced Traffic Control: WiFi 6E routers can monitor network traffic more effectively, allowing for better detection of unusual activity that may indicate a security threat.

Network Segmentation: Some WiFi 6E routers support network segmentation, which allows you to create separate networks for different types of devices (such as smart home devices and personal devices). This limits the spread of potential security breaches by isolating different sections of your network.

8. Enhanced IoT Security

With the increasing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in homes and businesses, securing these devices is critical. Many IoT devices have historically been vulnerable to attacks due to their limited processing power and basic security features. WiFi 6E addresses this concern through its support for WPA3 and other security protocols that are optimized for IoT devices.

Improved Device Authentication: WiFi 6E enables better authentication methods for IoT devices, ensuring that only trusted devices can connect to your network.

Lower Latency for Secure Connections: WiFi 6E reduces latency, which is essential for real-time control and monitoring of IoT devices, ensuring that data transmitted between devices is secure and efficient.

Why These Security Features Matter

The new security features introduced in WiFi 6E are designed to address the growing security challenges posed by the increasing number of connected devices and the sophistication of cyberattacks. Here’s why they’re important:

• More Devices, More Risks: With more devices, particularly IoT devices, connecting to your home or business network, the chances of a security breach increase. WiFi 6E’s enhanced encryption and authentication protocols reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access.
• Public Networks: WiFi Enhanced Open provides critical security for public Wi-Fi networks, which are often targets for hackers. Whether you're in a coffee shop or an airport, you can rest easier knowing your data is encrypted even without a password.
• Stronger Data Protection: WPA3’s improved encryption and protection against password guessing provide better safeguards for sensitive data, making it harder for hackers to break into your network.
• Prepared for Future Attacks: The inclusion of forward secrecy and protection against known vulnerabilities like KRACK ensures that WiFi 6E networks are prepared to defend against both current and future attack methods.

Conclusion

WiFi 6E offers a range of robust security features that make your network safer than ever before. Whether you're at home, in a business environment, or using a public Wi-Fi network, the combination of WPA3 encryption, Wi-Fi Enhanced Open, and advanced authentication methods significantly reduces the risk of cyberattacks. By upgrading to WiFi 6E, you not only benefit from faster speeds and lower latency but also from a network that is better equipped to protect your data and devices. As more devices continue to connect to the internet, the need for secure, reliable Wi-Fi has never been greater, and WiFi 6E delivers on that promise.