pre-shared key - Glossary | CSRC (2024)

FAQs

Pre-shared key - Glossary | CSRC? ›

A secret key that has previously been established between the parties who are authorized to use it by means of some secure method (e.g., using a secure manual-distribution process or automated key-establishment scheme). A single secret key used by IPsec endpoints to authenticate endpoints to each other.

'Pre-shared key' means that a passphrase, or shared key, is set up in advance and is required to connect to the wireless network.

The PSK is typically a passphrase or password that is known to both the network administrator (who configures the access point) and the users of the network (who enter the passphrase on their devices). During the initial setup, the client devices and the access point negotiate the encryption key based on the PSK.

A pre-shared key (PSK) is a super-long series of seemingly random letters and numbers generated when a device joins a network through a Wi-Fi access point (AP). The process begins when a user logs into the network using the SSID (name of the network) and password (sometimes called a passphrase).

You can use a pre-shared key (PSK) (also called a shared secret) to authenticate the Cloud VPN tunnel to your peer VPN gateway.

A pre-shared key is basically just a shared secret or password that is used to authenticate an individual attempting to join a wireless network (no username or identification or than the key is required).

Using a pre-shared key is less secure than using certificates, especially if it is used alone, without requiring peer IDs or extended authentication (XAuth). There also needs to be a secure way to distribute the pre-shared key to the peers.

PSK value is a hard to guess string of hexadecimal digits, for example, "e560cb0d918d26d31b4f642181f5f570ad89a390931102e5391d08327ba434e9".

PSK uses a finite number of phases, each assigned a unique pattern of binary digits. Usually, each phase encodes an equal number of bits. Each pattern of bits forms the symbol that is represented by the particular phase.

 The first mode is Per-Shared Key (PSK), this mode operating in the small coverage area, it's called the personal mode. In this mode, the AP configured for having only one secret key (from 8 to 63 characters) used to authenticate clients with the AP [11] .

What is the pre-shared key algorithm? ›

Pre-shared key encryption (symmetric) uses algorithms like Twofish, AES, or Blowfish, to create keys—AES currently being the most popular. All of these encryption algorithms fall into two types: stream ciphers and block ciphers.

In cryptography, a pre-shared key (PSK) is a shared secret which was previously shared between the two parties using some secure channel before it needs to be used.

Therefore, RSA PSK uses the pre-shared key and server certificate for mutual authentication while RSA with mutual authentication uses both server and client certificates. In other words, RSA PSK can save the overhead due to transmission and verification of the client certificate but still achieve mutual authentication.

Definitions: A secret key that has been established between the parties who are authorized to use it by means of some secure method (e.g., using a secure manual-distribution process or automated key-establishment scheme). A secret key that has previously been established.

Note: The WEP key or WPA/WPA2 preshared key/passphrase is not the same as the password for the access point. The password lets you access the access point settings. The WEP key or WPA/WPA2 preshared key/passphrase allows printers and computers to join your wireless network.

If you protect a ZIP file with a password, this password becomes the shared key and it must be shared between all parties. That key is both shared (everyone uses the same) and pre-shared (its distribution isn't covered by the ZIP protocol and must be performed through a different secure channel before usage)

In WPA protocol, a Pre-Shared Key (PSK) serves as a foundational element, facilitating a symmetric encryption methodology to secure wireless networks. A PSK is a complex string of characters utilized by participants within a network to authenticate each other before a connection is established.