Explanation WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was introduced when the 802.11 standard for Wi-Fi networks was launched. It allows the use of a 64-bit or 128-bit key. However, researchers discovered vulnerabilities in WEP in 2001 and proved that it was possible to break into any WEP network by using a brute-force method to decipher the key. Using WEP is not recommended. WPA, which stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access, is a newer standard and is much more secure.