The latest Windows 10 update from Microsoft flags Wi-Fi networks using outdated and insecure Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) authentication mechanisms.
WEP, which was introduced in 1997, was superseded in 2003 by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), which used TKIP to strengthen security. TKIP became less common when WPA2 was released in 2004 and is nonexistent in WPA3 ). Both older protocols have flaws that allow decryption by eavesdropping malicious types, but they’re still common in older Wi-Fi networks. That makes malware-injection attacks effective.
Experts say this is a good move from Microsoft, since the average Wi-Fi user isn’t usually aware of Wi-Fi security and wouldn’t know how to filter a public network for the type of security it uses.This can have grave outcomes for companies, as devices that are compromised in public hotspots can carry that infection back to the corporate network, when they reattach to corporate cloud apps or the company LAN servers.
In the new update, users will get a warning to disconnect from a particular network and look for other options.
This brings to the fore, the need for consumers to stay vigilant about good cyber hygiene and be careful when connecting to open Wi-Fi networks.