Anyone remember WEP, the original encryption scheme for WiFi?

[ryanc@infosec.exchange]

Anyone remember WEP, the original encryption scheme for WiFi?

"W" did not stand for "WiFi" or "Wireless".
"E" did not stand for "Encryption".
"P" did not stand for "Protocol".

The acronym was actually "Wired Equivalent Privacy", which, given how badly broken it was, is hilarious.

[soatok@furry.engineer]

@ryanc Wet Ess Packets

[tjbutt58@infosec.exchange]

@ryanc no accident it's very close to 'welp'

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

@ryanc

WELP

[ozzelot@mstdn.social]

@ryanc
Given how wiretappable the hubs of the day were, perhaps the meaning held some truth.

[grantpe@tech.lgbt]

@ryanc well, it was equivalent, if you left your network cables lying in the parking lot.

[benaveling@mastodon.ie]

Correct. WEP meant: as secure as if someone had access to the physical wires you were using. i.e. not very. @ozzelot @ryanc

[qbitzerre@social.from.net]

@ryanc or a reflection of our presumptions about the general security of unencrypted communication using wires.

[witewulf@cyberplace.social]

@ryanc see also: WAP (not wireless access point, or whatever Cardi B was referring to )

It was also bloody useless

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol

[aris@infosec.exchange]

@ryanc They should have called it ALWT: "At least we tried"

[david_chisnall@infosec.exchange]

@ryanc Given some of the newer tempest-style attacks, it might have been quite accurate naming.

[fcbsd@hachyderm.io]

@ryanc in the good 'ole days wired networks gave away all their secrets :~)

[dalias@hachyderm.io]

@ryanc I think the hilarious part is how accurate it is - and that so many ppl somehow treat a wired network as trusted.

[resuna@ohai.social]

@ryanc I always got it confused with WAP.

[raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie]

@ryanc
We Enjoy Piracy?

[mark_f_lynch@mastodon.ie]

@WiteWulf @ryanc Oi! I had my first job in tech as a support engineer for a WAP gateway, I'll have you know TBF it was of its time, given the capabilities of mobile phones in those days, but it did work OK...

[tyzbit@toot.now]

@ryanc WEP design philosophy:

we scrumbled the packets what more do you WANT from us

[oscherler@tooting.ch]

@ryanc Well, wired privacy is nonexistent if people tap on the wires. It’s private because you don’t give people access to your home’s wiring. Same goes for WiFi: just don’t give people access to the space covered by your antenna.

[ryanc@infosec.exchange]

@david_chisnall Indeed.

[401matthall@mastodon.xyz]

@ryanc

I 'member.

I did _not_ know the acronym's meaning however. That's fascinating.

WEP was what you used to demo brute-forcing to people who didn't know anything about security. It was _great_.