CompTIA Security+ Wireless Security: WPA2, WPA3, and Common Attacks

Anyone researching Security+ wireless security eventually runs into the same question: what does Security+ actually demand? CompTIA's current Security+ exam is SY0-701, launched on November 7, 2023. It is a single-exam certification priced at $425, capped at maximum of 90 questions, timed at 90 minutes, and scored on a 100–900 scale with 750 required to pass.

WPA2 vs WPA3

WPA2-Personal uses a Pre-Shared Key (PSK). If an attacker captures the four-way handshake during association, they can attempt offline dictionary attacks against the PSK. WPA3-Personal uses SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals), which resists offline guessing attacks and provides forward secrecy — past session traffic cannot be decrypted even if the password is later compromised.

WPA2-Enterprise and WPA3-Enterprise use 802.1X with a RADIUS server for individual authentication, which is preferable for corporate environments.

Common wireless attacks

Evil twin attacks create a rogue access point mimicking a legitimate SSID to intercept traffic. Deauthentication attacks force clients to reconnect, allowing handshake capture. WPS PIN brute-force was a significant weakness in WPA2-protected networks — disabling WPS is a standard hardening step. Guest network isolation prevents guest clients from reaching production systems.

What should you do with this information next?

Our CompTIA Security+ study guide covers all five SY0-701 domains. Available at securitypluscertprep.com/guide.

SimpuTech's Security+ AI tutor can build a personalized study plan. Try it at SimpuTech.com.