WPA (WI-FI PROTECTED ACCESS)

WPA Stands for "Wi-Fi Protected Access." WPA is a security protocol designed to create secure wireless (Wi-Fi) networks. It is similar to the WEP protocol, but offers improvements in the way it handles security keys and the way users are authorized.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a security standard for users of computing devices equipped with wireless internet connections.

Network security professionals were able to support WPA on many WEP-based devices with a simple firmware update. 

These are developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks.

The Alliance defined these protocols because of the serious weaknesses the researchers found in the previous system, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).

WPA included a Message Integrity Check, which is designed to prevent an attacker to alter or resend data packets.