SSCP Network and Communications Security Practice Question
A company is migrating from WPA2-PSK to WPA3 for its wireless network. Which THREE benefits does WPA3 provide compared to WPA2?
⚠ Common exam trap
SSCP often tests wireless security features. The trap is confusing WPA3 benefits with those of WPA2 or assuming backward compatibility with older protocols like WEP. Candidates must remember that WPA3 does not support WEP and that TKIP is not used in WPA3.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Mandatory use of Protected Management Frames (PMF)
Option A is correct because WPA3 mandates Protected Management Frames (PMF, defined in 802.11w), which cryptographically protects management frames such as deauthentication and disassociation, preventing spoofing and denial-of-service attacks that remain possible under WPA2 where PMF is optional. Option C is correct because WPA3-Enterprise offers an optional 192-bit security mode based on CNSA Suite algorithms (GCMP-256, HMAC-SHA-384, ECDHE and ECDSA with 384-bit curves), providing stronger cryptographic protection than the standard WPA2-Enterprise 128-bit suite. Option D is correct because WPA3 replaces the WPA2-PSK 4-way handshake with Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE), a Dragonfly-based password-authenticated key exchange that resists offline dictionary attacks by requiring live interaction with the AP for each guess. Option B is incorrect because TKIP is a deprecated, legacy encryption protocol; WPA3 requires CCMP-128 at minimum and does not mandate TKIP. Option E is incorrect because WPA3 does not provide backward compatibility with WEP devices, which use the obsolete RC4-based WEP cipher and cannot negotiate WPA3 security.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Mandatory use of Protected Management Frames (PMF)
Why this is correct
Protected Management Frames become mandatory in WPA3, whereas WPA2 left them optional. This closes the deauthentication and disassociation forgery attacks that WPA2 networks remained exposed to, directly satisfying the scenario's requirement for a security improvement over WPA2-PSK.
- ✗
Use of TKIP as the mandatory encryption protocol
Why it's wrong here
WPA3 mandates SAE and AES-CCMP, having removed TKIP entirely; TKIP was deprecated in WPA2 and is not a WPA3 benefit. It tempts because TKIP appeared in older WPA deployments, but WPA3's security gains come from replacing it, not retaining it.
- ✓
Support for 192-bit security suite in Enterprise mode
Why this is correct
WPA3-Enterprise offers an optional 192-bit cryptographic suite aligned with CNSA guidance, using GCMP-256 and stronger key derivation. This hardens authentication and encryption beyond WPA2-Enterprise's 128-bit AES-CCMP, satisfying the stem's requirement for a security benefit unique to WPA3 in managed network deployments.
- ✓
Resistance to offline dictionary attacks through SAE
Why this is correct
WPA3 replaces WPA2's PSK four-way handshake with Simultaneous Authentication of Equals, a Dragonfly-based password-authenticated key exchange. SAE resists offline dictionary attacks because each session derives unique keys, so captured handshakes cannot be brute-forced offline, directly satisfying the migration's requirement for stronger credential protection.
- ✗
Backward compatibility with WEP devices
Why it's wrong here
WPA3 does not support WEP devices; WEP is long deprecated and WPA3 requires SAE, which legacy hardware cannot negotiate. It tempts because backward compatibility sounds like a migration benefit, yet WPA3 deliberately drops support for obsolete protocols rather than accommodating them.
Quick reference
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
This SSCP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SSCP exam.