In the personal mode of the WPA3 wireless LAN security standard, which authentication and key exchange method replaced WPA2's pre-shared key (PSK) method and makes the password hard to guess by offline dictionary attack even if the traffic is intercepted?

Answer: B. SAE

In WPA2 personal mode (WPA2-PSK), anyone who captures the 4-way handshake at connection time can mount an offline dictionary attack, trying candidate passwords one after another on their own machine. WPA3 personal mode uses a key exchange called SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals) so that captured traffic alone cannot be used to check password candidates. SAE also provides forward secrecy: even if the password leaks later, previously captured traffic cannot be decrypted. Even so, short, easily guessed passwords should be avoided with any method.

• A. TKIP is an encryption method introduced in WPA to patch WEP's weaknesses; it is now considered weak and should not be used.
• B. Correct. SAE made the method resistant to offline dictionary attacks.
• C. WEP is the encryption method of early wireless LANs, with known weaknesses that let the key be cracked quickly.