Opportunistic Wireless Encryption
Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) is a Wi-Fi standard which ensures that communication between a public hotspot and end devices is protected from other end devices. In contrast to conventional public hotspots, the data is transmitted in encrypted form. OWE was introduced by the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2018 as part of the Wi-Fi Certified Enhanced Open program.[1]
OWE is an extension to IEEE 802.11.[2] it is an encryption technique similar to that of Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) and is specified by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in RFC 8110 with devices certified as Wi-Fi Certified Enhanced Open by the Wi-Fi Alliance.[3][4]
With a network without a password, each WPA3 device that connects to it will still have its connection encrypted, OWE does encryption, not authentication, Evil twin (wireless networks) attack protection requires either WPA3-Personal or WPA3-Enterprise.[5]
Unlike conventional Wi-Fi, it provides "Individualized Data Protection" such that data traffic between a client and access point is "individualized". Other clients can still sniff and record this traffic, but they can't decrypt it.
"OWE is a means of adding encryption to open networks...OWE only protects against passive attacks."[6]
Opportunistic Wireless Encryption is a Wi-Fi Enhanced Open authentication mode, as a part of Wi-Fi Protected Access 3.[7] OWE performs an unauthenticated Diffie–Hellman (DH) key exchange at association time.[7]
For the wireless client to know the WLAN supports OWE, it must receive a Probe Response from the wireless access point in response to its Probe Request. OWE still uses 802.11 Open System Authentication, then the Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral exchange occurs in the Association process. After Association is successful the 4-way handshake can occur, and from then on data frames are encrypted.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Elkasri, Lee (15 August 2023). "Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE): Everything You Need to Know to Secure Your Guest Wifi". Continental Computers. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Chen, Dave (December 4, 2018). "Opportunistic Wireless Encryption…Um, What's That Again?". Network World.
- ^ "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Enhanced Open™: Transparent Wi-Fi® protections without complexity | Wi-Fi Alliance". www.wi-fi.org.
- ^ "WPA3: How and why the Wi-Fi standard matters". Hewlett Packard Enterprise. August 8, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-08-08.
- ^ "Evil Twin Attack: Definition and How to Prevent It". Mediacenter. Panda Security. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Gabriel (20 December 2019). "War Never Changes: Attacks Against WPA3's Enhanced Open — Part 2: Understanding OWE". specterops. Medium. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b Mostafa, Ahmad (2022). "What WPA3 Brings to Wi-Fi with Focus on SAE and OWE: A Review and Explanation of Basic Operations" (PDF). CWNE Candidate Paper Series. Durham, NC: Certified Wireless Network Professionals. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Wi-Fi Security Enhancements: Part 2 – Enhanced Open (OWE)". Wi-Fi Coops. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- "Opportunistic_Wireless_Encryption_Specification_v1.0_0". www.wi-fi.org | Wi-Fi Alliance.
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