The WECA statement further notes that WEP was never meant to be more than a basic security measure and that it continues to be a very effective deterrent against the vast majority of attackers. Existing measures and products can and should be implemented to protect any sensitive data. A passive attack, in which an outsider simply reads messages without revealing his presence, is best countered by encryption. An active attack, in which someone hacks the system disguised as a legitimate user to send, receive, forge or modify messages, requires stronger detection and countermeasures. Higher security solutions may feature strong user authentication, packet encryption and packet integrity protection.
Many organizations employ VPNs as integral parts of their security solutions.
Until recently VPNs were wired only, but several vendors have developed wireless solutions that allow access behind firewalls from a laptop. Some new products allow users to make secure connections with handheld devices. Other solutions deal with the digital key required for decoding encryption. Under WEP standards, many wireless networks use a single secret encryption key that actually is shared among many users. Shared passwords are rarely a good idea.