Opportunistic Wireless Encryption

{{Short description|Wi-Fi communication standard}}

{{redirect|OWE}}

File:Android-WiFi-Security-Enhanced-Open.jpg

Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) is a Wi-Fi standard which ensures that communication between a public hotspot and end devices is protected from other end devices. In contrast to conventional public hotspots, the data is transmitted in encrypted form. OWE was introduced by the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2018 as part of the Wi-Fi Certified Enhanced Open program.{{cite web |last1=Elkasri |first1=Lee |title=Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE): Everything You Need to Know to Secure Your Guest Wifi |url=https://conticomp.com/secure-guest-wifi-with-opportunistic-wireless-encryption/ |website=Continental Computers |access-date=22 October 2024 |date=15 August 2023}}

OWE is an extension to IEEE 802.11.{{Cite web|url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/966750/opportunistic-wireless-encryption-um-what-s-that-again.html|title=Opportunistic Wireless Encryption…Um, What's That Again?|first=Dave|last=Chen|date=December 4, 2018|website=Network World}} it is an encryption technique similar to that of Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) and is specified by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in RFC 8110 with devices certified as Wi-Fi Certified Enhanced Open by the Wi-Fi Alliance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wi-fi.org/beacon/dan-harkins/wi-fi-certified-enhanced-open-transparent-wi-fi-protections-without-complexity|title=Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Enhanced Open™: Transparent Wi-Fi® protections without complexity | Wi-Fi Alliance|website=www.wi-fi.org}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.hpe.com/us/en/insights/articles/wpa3-how-and-why-the-wi-fi-standard-matters-1808.html|title=WPA3: How and why the Wi-Fi standard matters|date=August 8, 2018|website=Hewlett Packard Enterprise|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808161636/https://www.hpe.com/us/en/insights/articles/wpa3-how-and-why-the-wi-fi-standard-matters-1808.html |archive-date=2018-08-08}}

With a network without a password, each WPA3 device that connects to it will still have its connection encrypted, OWE does encryption, not authentication, Evil twin (wireless networks) attack protection requires either WPA3-Personal or WPA3-Enterprise.{{cite web |title=Evil Twin Attack: Definition and How to Prevent It |url=https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/mediacenter/evil-twin-attack/ |website=Mediacenter |publisher=Panda Security |access-date=22 October 2024 |date=21 November 2023}}

Unlike conventional Wi-Fi, it provides "Individualized Data Protection" such that data traffic between a client and access point is "individualized". Other clients can still sniff and record this traffic, but they can't decrypt it.

"OWE is a means of adding encryption to open networks...OWE only protects against passive attacks."{{cite web |last1=Ryan |first1=Gabriel |title=War Never Changes: Attacks Against WPA3’s Enhanced Open — Part 2: Understanding OWE |url=https://posts.specterops.io/war-never-changes-attacks-against-wpa3s-enhanced-open-part-2-understanding-owe-90fdc29126a1 |website=specterops |publisher=Medium |access-date=22 October 2024 |language=en |date=20 December 2019}}

Opportunistic Wireless Encryption is a Wi-Fi Enhanced Open authentication mode, as a part of Wi-Fi Protected Access 3.{{cite web |last1=Mostafa |first1=Ahmad |title=What WPA3 Brings to Wi-Fi with Focus on SAE and OWE: A Review and Explanation of Basic Operations |url=https://www.cwnp.com/uploads/what-wpa3-brings-to-wi-fi-focus-on-sae-and-owe-ahmed-mostafa-cwne-candidate-article-2022.pdf |website=CWNE Candidate Paper Series |publisher=Certified Wireless Network Professionals |access-date=22 October 2024 |location=Durham, NC |date=2022}} OWE performs an unauthenticated Diffie–Hellman (DH) key exchange at association time.

For the wireless client to know the WLAN supports OWE, it must receive a Probe Response from the wireless access point in response to its Probe Request. OWE still uses 802.11 Open System Authentication, then the Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral exchange occurs in the Association process. After Association is successful the 4-way handshake can occur, and from then on data frames are encrypted.{{cite web |title=Wi-Fi Security Enhancements: Part 2 – Enhanced Open (OWE) |url=https://wificoops.com/2019/08/05/wi-fi-security-enhancements-part-2-enhanced-open-owe/ |website=Wi-Fi Coops |access-date=22 October 2024 |language=en |date=5 August 2019}}