REDMOND, Wash. -- March 31, 2003 -- Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of a free Microsoft® Windows® XP download to support Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), a new standards-based wireless network security solution from the Wi-Fi Alliance. The new solution is intended to be a replacement for the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) standard and offers more-robust methods of data encryption and network authentication. The result is a new level of protection for customers taking advantage of the wireless features in Windows XP.
This update provides support for Wireless Protected Access, a new standards-based wireless security solution developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance. WPA is intended to replace the existing Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) standard, offering much more robust methods of encryption and authentication and resulting in a new level of protection for customers taking advantage of the wireless features of Windows XP.