Which encryption algorithm is used by WEP to provide encryption?

Which encryption algorithm is used by WEP to provide encryption?

• A. TKIP
• B. AES
• C. RC4
• D. CCMP

Answer: (C)

WEP uses a stream cipher called RC4 to encrypt data. It generates a keystream with RC4 from the WEP key and a per-packet initialization vector, then XORs that keystream with the plaintext to produce ciphertext. The short, reused IV is what ultimately weakens WEP, but the encryption algorithm itself is RC4. In modern wireless security, AES is used with CCMP (WPA2), and TKIP is associated with WPA as an RC4-based wrapping, not the WEP scheme. So RC4 is the encryption algorithm used by WEP.

WEP uses a stream cipher called RC4 to encrypt data. It generates a keystream with RC4 from the WEP key and a per-packet initialization vector, then XORs that keystream with the plaintext to produce ciphertext. The short, reused IV is what ultimately weakens WEP, but the encryption algorithm itself is RC4. In modern wireless security, AES is used with CCMP (WPA2), and TKIP is associated with WPA as an RC4-based wrapping, not the WEP scheme. So RC4 is the encryption algorithm used by WEP.