WPA3
The current wireless security standard, improving on WPA2 with stronger authentication and protection for open networks.
It removes the offline dictionary attack that made weak WPA2 passphrases crackable from a captured handshake, and it encrypts traffic on open networks so it cannot be trivially read.
Mixed-mode operation is usually necessary for a while, since older devices cannot negotiate WPA3 and will simply fail to connect.
Where this comes up
WPA3 sits inside our networks and infrastructure work. If you are trying to work out what this means for your own environment rather than in the abstract, that is the page worth reading next, and a short call will get you a straight answer faster than either.
Related terms
SSID The name of a wireless network, as it appears in the list of available networks. Wireless access point The device that provides wireless network coverage and bridges wireless clients onto the wired network. 802.1X A standard requiring devices to authenticate before they are granted access to a wired or wireless network.