Wifi Protected Access 2 – Pre-Shared Key (WPA2-PSK), a wireless security standard from 2004, is still used by many organizations today. And although it’s safer than its predecessors, WPA2-PSK relies on pre-shared keys (PSKs), which use a shared password or secret to authenticate users to your wireless network. Shared authentication credentials like PSKs put your organization at a higher risk than other forms of security, like multi-factor authentication or digital certificates.
Still, you may be wondering: does rotating– or periodically changing– your PSKs offset any security concerns? After all, it’s best practice to rotate PSKs to prevent cryptanalysis-based attacks; could rotating PSKs be enough to meet your security needs?
Read on to learn why PSKs are dangerous, whether rotating PSKs will solve security issues, and whether WPA2-PSK is the best choice to keep your organization’s digital assets safe.
Why is PSK dangerous for your network?
First, let’s review the shortcomings of PSKs when it comes to security.
A network secured with PSK is vulnerable to many types of attacks, including:
- Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks
- Brute force attacks
- Layer 2 attacks
- Phishing attacks
- Password loss/theft
What’s more, PSKs leave you open to other types of attacks, including:
Offline password attacks
Catching a pre-shared key “in-flight” is easy, which exposes your organization to offline password attacks. Once the hashed password is offline, bad actors can try as many passwords as needed to guess your password without locking the account.
Two methods can capture a PSK in flight. In the first method, the attacker tries to capture the 4-way handshake during the client’s first authentication. At this stage, he can see the challenge and response, which includes the encrypted key. The attacker can listen for a new client to authenticate, or they can send de-auth packets. This causes connected clients to drop and reauthenticate into the network.
The second method takes advantage of the optional management field in 802.1X. The attacker places a request to the access point and sees the PMKID. The PMKID computes the PSK and MAC address of the access point. This would help the attacker take the hash offline and determine your passwords.
Improper key management
Sometimes, the security threat from a PSK is due to improper key management by your own employees or vendors. A lot of users on your network would have access to the pre-shared key; a disgruntled employee or vendor could access the network from their car with malicious intent. Rotating your PSKs as soon as an employee leaves an organization is essential, but this still won’t cover 100% of security breaches due to improper key management.
An employee can also connect his personal devices to the network through a PSK, which leaves the network even more vulnerable. The PSK becomes easier to guess, and the employee’s device could even introduce malware to your network.
Does rotating pre-shared keys secure the network?
PSK rotation is a process where the old encryption key is replaced by a new encryption key. If a PSK is compromised, regular rotation reduces the amount of time that the data is vulnerable; once the key rotates, the old key no longer grants access to the network. By rotating keys regularly, an organization may stay compliant with some industry standards and cryptography best practices.
PSK rotation is a process where the old encryption key is replaced by a new encryption key. If a PSK is compromised, regular rotation reduces the amount of time that the data is vulnerable; once the key rotates, the old key no longer grants access to the network. By rotating keys regularly, an organization may stay compliant with some industry standards and cryptography best practices.
What’s more, while keys are meant to be rotated periodically, organizations often fail to perform key rotations in a timely manner because they are time-consuming and cumbersome. Other organizations only rotate the Key Encryption Key (KEK) or “master key” and consider the rotation done, when they should rotate the Data Encryption Key (DEK) to boost security.
In all of these cases, while organizations may think that they are protecting their network, they leave their network vulnerable by relying on PSKs (even if they’re rotating PSKs).
Digital Certificates as a Replacement for PSKs
Shifting to certificate-based security is a foolproof method of securing your network. Certificates are a better alternative to PSKs because:
- They offer reduced authentication time and remove password fatigue, improving the user experience.
- The asymmetric cryptography of a digital certificate is exponentially more secure than the symmetric cryptography of a password or a PSK.
- The risk of hacking and data theft that may occur due to PSK mismanagement is eliminated.
- Certificates are tied to identities, so you know who and what devices are using the network.
Plus, if you want to qualify as a cloud service provider for FEDRAMP, there is a requirement that you protect confidential data with a robust form of security. The CISA and NSA have also mandated the use of multi-factor authentication or digital certificates to protect data stored on-prem or in the cloud.
Shift to certificate-based authentication for a more secure network
We’ve reviewed why you should move away from WPA2-PSK, but you may still be reluctant to migrate to WPA-Enterprise certificate-based authentication because, well, migrating anything digital can be a pain. But we’re happy to tell you that making the move is a breeze! You can safely upgrade to a more secure network infrastructure through SecureW2’s turnkey solutions without any huge upgrades.
Once you migrate to digital certificates, you can deploy them to any MDM via our API gateways. Plus, SecureW2’s onboarding solution for MDMs offers certificate management solutions for almost every popular MDM on the market.
Ready to see how easily you can secure your network? Switch to digital certificates with SecureW2 now and get customized pricing for your organization!
As a cybersecurity professional with extensive expertise in network security, including wireless protocols and encryption methodologies, I have a comprehensive understanding of the concepts highlighted in the article regarding Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 – Pre-Shared Key (WPA2-PSK) and its inherent security vulnerabilities.
The article emphasizes the use of WPA2-PSK, a wireless security standard established in 2004, which despite its improvements over its predecessors, poses significant security risks due to its reliance on pre-shared keys for user authentication. Let's dissect the concepts and terms used in the article:
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WPA2-PSK (Wifi Protected Access 2 - Pre-Shared Key): A security protocol widely used in wireless networks that employs a shared passphrase or key for user authentication, offering a level of security higher than earlier versions but still vulnerable to various attacks.
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Pre-Shared Keys (PSKs): These are passwords or secrets shared among users to gain access to a network. However, the use of shared authentication credentials like PSKs makes the network susceptible to security threats, as outlined in the article.
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Security Vulnerabilities Associated with PSKs: The article lists various types of attacks that networks secured with PSKs are susceptible to, including Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, brute force attacks, phishing attacks, layer 2 attacks, and password loss/theft.
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Capturing PSKs: The article discusses methods attackers use to capture PSKs, including intercepting the 4-way handshake during client authentication and exploiting optional management fields in 802.1X to obtain the PMKID, subsequently enabling offline attacks to guess passwords.
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Improper Key Management: It highlights the risks associated with improper key management by employees or vendors, including disgruntled insiders exploiting access, connecting personal devices, or introducing malware to the network.
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PSK Rotation: The concept of rotating encryption keys (PSKs) periodically to reduce the window of vulnerability in case of compromise. However, it clarifies that PSK rotation alone may not sufficiently secure the network.
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Digital Certificates as a Replacement: The article suggests that digital certificates offer a more secure alternative to PSKs due to their asymmetric cryptography, tying identities to devices, reducing authentication time, and eliminating risks associated with PSK mismanagement.
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Migration to Certificate-Based Authentication: The article encourages organizations to transition from WPA2-PSK to WPA-Enterprise certificate-based authentication, highlighting benefits like enhanced security, reduced complexity, and compliance with industry standards.
Overall, the article underscores the limitations of WPA2-PSK and advocates for the adoption of certificate-based authentication, emphasizing its advantages in mitigating the security risks posed by PSKs.
Understanding these concepts and their implications is crucial for organizations looking to enhance the security of their wireless networks by transitioning away from PSK-based security protocols toward more robust certificate-based authentication systems.
