Which protocol uses SAE instead of pre-shared keys?

Which protocol uses SAE instead of pre-shared keys?

• A. WEP
• B. WPA
• C. WPA2
• D. WPA3

Answer: (D)

SAE, Simultaneous Authentication of Equals, is used in WPA3 to replace the traditional pre-shared key in personal mode. This password‑based key exchange authenticates devices without exposing a single shared password for later offline guessing. In practice, each authentication run uses a fresh exchange, and deriving the session keys requires verification that both sides know the actual password. That makes offline dictionary attacks impractical, because guesses cannot be tested against captured data without interacting with the network and performing the full handshake each time. Older protocols like WEP and WPA/WPA2 Personal rely on a static pre-shared key. If someone captures traffic, they can mount offline guesses against that single key to decrypt communications, which is why those are far less secure. WPA3’s adoption of SAE addresses that weakness by providing a robust, interactive, password-based authentication mechanism. So, the protocol that uses SAE instead of pre-shared keys is WPA3.

SAE, Simultaneous Authentication of Equals, is used in WPA3 to replace the traditional pre-shared key in personal mode. This password‑based key exchange authenticates devices without exposing a single shared password for later offline guessing. In practice, each authentication run uses a fresh exchange, and deriving the session keys requires verification that both sides know the actual password. That makes offline dictionary attacks impractical, because guesses cannot be tested against captured data without interacting with the network and performing the full handshake each time.

Older protocols like WEP and WPA/WPA2 Personal rely on a static pre-shared key. If someone captures traffic, they can mount offline guesses against that single key to decrypt communications, which is why those are far less secure. WPA3’s adoption of SAE addresses that weakness by providing a robust, interactive, password-based authentication mechanism.

So, the protocol that uses SAE instead of pre-shared keys is WPA3.