Which encryption protocol replaced WEP?

The correct answer is the protocol that served as the first replacement for WEP. WPA, which stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access, was developed to address the vulnerabilities found in WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). While WEP was designed to provide a security level comparable to that of a wired network, it ultimately proved to be insufficient due to numerous weaknesses that could be easily exploited by attackers.

WPA introduced several enhancements over WEP, including support for stronger encryption methods and improved key management. One of the key features of WPA was the use of TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol), which dynamically changed keys as data was transmitted, providing a more robust security framework. Although WPA itself was an improvement, it was later succeeded by WPA2, which provided even more significant advancements, including the adoption of the more secure AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption.

In summary, WPA was developed to rectify the shortcomings of WEP and was the initial protocol that replaced it, setting the stage for subsequent advancements in wireless security.