WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy. Originally defined in the 802.11b wireless standard, WEP requires an SSID on the access point that is shared among all clients that need access. While it’s probably okay for home or small office wireless networks, the feeling in the industry is that, by itself, it is insufficiently secure for larger businesses.

WPA Wi-Fi Protected Access. An interim solution crafted by the Wi-Fi Alliance that fills the gap between WEP and 802.11i.

802.11i A new wireless security standard in its final stages of approval by the IEEE. 802.11i should be fully ratified before the end of the year, and wide adoption is likely.

802.1x A standardized authentication method developed by the IEEE for Ethernet networks, and frequently used in wireless networks. When a user logs in, the access point requests credentials from the client, which it passes on to the authentication server. Upon authentication, the access point allows data traffic from the client.

SSID Service set identifier. A 32-character password that functions as the secret name of an access point. Used by WEP to associate a client with a particular access point.

AES Advanced Encryption Standard. A 128-bit encryption protocol that works at several network layers. Adopted by the U.S. government, AES is an essential part of 802.11i. Many current products, even with a firmware upgrade, won’t have the processing power to decipher the complex AES algorithm, however.

TKIP Temporal key integrity protocol. An encryption technique that uses a hashing algorithm and integrity checking. Designed specifically to overcome deficiencies in the WEP protocol. Available in both WPA and 802.11i.n