In accordance with the first security guidelines from the IEEE 802.11 standard, further functions and new standards have been developed in the last few years with which modern WLANs are protected. The security mechanisms in data networks are generally aimed at the following functions:

Authentication:
Only authorised users should have access to the WLAN and they should only connect to it using the desired access points.

Integrity:
The transmitted data should reach the recipient in its original form, manipulated data should be recognised and rejected.

Confidentiality:
Unauthorised third parties should not be in a position to intercept data traffic.

This article provides an overview of the security functions that are offered by many wireless access points and wireless routers. But many of the most modern – and “non hackable” – security standards such as WPA and 802.11i (WPA-2) are not supported by cheaper devices.