Network Defense Essentials (NDE) Practice Exam

Which wireless encryption technology uses RADIUS for centralized client authentication?

1. WPA2 Enterprise

2. WPA2 Personal

3. WEP

4. TKIP

The correct answer is: WPA2 Enterprise

WPA2 Enterprise is the correct selection because it uses the RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) protocol to facilitate centralized authentication for wireless clients. This approach allows for a more secure method of authenticating users on a network, as it provides individual usernames and passwords for each client, unlike other wireless security options that utilize a pre-shared key. RADIUS servers are capable of managing authentication requests and can verify the identities of users seeking to access the wireless network. This is especially advantageous in enterprise environments where security requirements are higher, and there is a need for detailed logging and access control based on individual user credentials. In contrast, WPA2 Personal relies on a pre-shared key, which does not require RADIUS and is suitable for smaller, less complex environments. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is an older encryption standard that is now considered insecure and does not provide for centralized authentication. TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) is a security protocol used in conjunction with WPA, but it does not inherently offer the centralized authentication feature provided by RADIUS. Therefore, WPA2 Enterprise stands out as the option that incorporates RADIUS for centralized client authentication.