Which security protocol is widely used to encrypt data sent over Wi-Fi networks?

WPA2 is widely recognized as a security protocol specifically designed to enhance the security of Wi-Fi networks. It employs strong encryption methods, specifically the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is robust and provides a high level of protection against unauthorized access to sensitive data transmitted over wireless networks. By using WPA2, data sent between the client and the access point is encrypted, ensuring that even if someone intercepts the communication, they would not be able to easily decipher the information without the encryption key.

In contrast to WPA2, other options like WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) are significantly weaker and considered obsolete due to various vulnerabilities that can be exploited. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) does not provide encryption and is mostly used for transmitting data over the web; it is not specific to Wi-Fi networks and does not secure the data while it is in transit. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a cryptographic protocol used primarily to secure communications over a computer network but is not specifically tailored for Wi-Fi encryption. WPA2 stands out as the most effective protocol for securing wireless communications in this context.