what is the name of the security protocol used to protect wireless networks

The main security protocol used to protect wireless networks is called Wi‑Fi Protected Access (WPA) , with its modern versions WPA2 and WPA3 used on most routers today.

Quick Scoop

If you’ve ever connected to a Wi‑Fi network and entered a password, you were almost certainly using one of these protocols:

• WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) – the original Wi‑Fi security protocol, now considered weak and obsolete and should not be used.

• WPA (Wi‑Fi Protected Access) – introduced as a quick fix for WEP’s flaws, more secure but now also outdated compared to newer options.

• WPA2 (Wi‑Fi Protected Access 2) – became the long‑time industry standard, using stronger AES‑based encryption (often noted as AES‑CCMP) and still widely deployed.

• WPA3 (Wi‑Fi Protected Access 3) – the latest standard, required on new certified devices since around 2020, designed to better resist password‑guessing and modern attacks.

So if your question is phrased as:

“What is the name of the security protocol used to protect wireless networks?”

The expected, simple exam‑style answer is usually “WPA (Wi‑Fi Protected Access)” , or more precisely in a modern context “WPA2/WPA3 Wi‑Fi Protected Access.”

Tiny extra context (in case you’re curious)

• On a typical home router, the recommended setting today is WPA2‑Personal or WPA3‑Personal with AES encryption.

• Older options like WEP are easy to crack with publicly available tools and should be avoided entirely.

TL;DR: The protocol family protecting most wireless networks is Wi‑Fi Protected Access (WPA) , especially WPA2 and WPA3 on modern Wi‑Fi.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.