Oct 12, 2026, 8:33 AMAnyone remember WEP, the original encryption scheme for WiFi?
"W" did not stand for "WiFi" or "Wireless".
"E" did not stand for "Encryption".
"P" did not stand for "Protocol".
The acronym was actually "Wired Equivalent Privacy", which, given how badly broken it was, is hilarious.
Oct 12, 2026, 8:36 AM@ryanc Wet Ess Packets
@ryanc no accident it's very close to 'welp'
WELP
@ryanc
Given how wiretappable the hubs of the day were, perhaps the meaning held some truth.
Oct 12, 2026, 9:24 AM@ryanc well, it was equivalent, if you left your network cables lying in the parking lot.
@ryanc or a reflection of our presumptions about the general security of unencrypted communication using wires.
@ryanc see also: WAP (not wireless access point, or whatever Cardi B was referring to 😳)
It was also bloody useless 😀
Oct 12, 2026, 10:59 AM@ryanc They should have called it ALWT: "At least we tried"
Oct 12, 2026, 11:28 AM@ryanc Given some of the newer tempest-style attacks, it might have been quite accurate naming.
Oct 12, 2026, 5:13 PM@david_chisnall Indeed.
@ryanc in the good 'ole days wired networks gave away all their secrets :~)
@ryanc I think the hilarious part is how accurate it is - and that so many ppl somehow treat a wired network as trusted.
@ryanc I always got it confused with WAP.
@ryanc
We Enjoy Piracy?
Oct 12, 2026, 12:53 PM@ryanc WEP design philosophy:
we scrumbled the packets what more do you WANT from us
@ryanc Well, wired privacy is nonexistent if people tap on the wires. It’s private because you don’t give people access to your home’s wiring. Same goes for WiFi: just don’t give people access to the space covered by your antenna.
I 'member.
I did _not_ know the acronym's meaning however. That's fascinating.
WEP was what you used to demo brute-forcing to people who didn't know anything about security. It was _great_.
<3
Oct 12, 2026, 11:11 PM@ryanc I worked on WiFi chipsets at Intersil back in the days when WEP was cracked. That was a trip.
I definitely recall the FBI saying it was garbage.
I still can see WEP secured WiFi APs today.
Old kit.
Oct 13, 2026, 12:16 AM
@ryanc weak encryption protocol