The next generation of wireless security (WPA) was supposed to be worlds better than existing technology (WEP), but wrinkles still remain. This week the Wi-Fi Alliance announced that while 175 products were now certified compatible with WPA, they'll be offering the next generation (WPA2) later this year. While some argue wireless is never truly secure, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was universally considered downright feeble by many users, who were eager for something meatier like WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access).

That's not to say WPA (an interim version of 802.11i) isn't susceptible to old, familiar problems. Wireless security expert Robert Moskowitz last fall tried to temper enthusiasm over WPA, posting his latest WPA research over at Wi-Fi Networking News. Moskowitz explored how the overly simplified interface used to let users select passphrases makes it easy for intruders to sniff traffic and perform offline dictionary attacks.

Not actually a problem with WPA itself, the problem rests on the shoulders of hardware manufacturers, who allow users to enter weak keys. "Vendors have, in the large part, let the user community down," says Moskowitz, who suggests that passphrases with 20 or more characters are likely to be immune to the attacks.

According to the Security Focus and Internet News, WPA 2 should pop up sometime this year. Wi-Fi Networking news has a good exploration and breakdown of the different standards as well as what improvements can be found in WPA 2.