Fortinet Access Points: WPA3 Security Implementation

Third cup of coffee down. Hum is steady. Well, let’s talk about WPA3 — and why to me it is a must for any business serious about cybersecurity in 2024.

I’m Sanjay Seth. Configured token-ring networks practically since ’93. In the days when SLIP was a real thing, and coffee cost Rs. 5. Now I’m running PJ Networks Pvt Ltd — we’re doing firewalls, servers, routers … and, yes, a lot of encrypted Wi-Fi.

WPA3 WiFi is the new generation of wireless security. Not because I say so. But that old way (WPA2) is like locking a car and leaving the keys underneath the mat. It’s time to close the gaps. Especially if your business possesses sensitive data — and whose doesn’t?

We’ve deployed WPA3-enabled Fortinet Access Points for clients — from banks requiring an airtight zero-trust architecture. So this post is a rundown. What WPA3 is. How it works and why it is better than WPA2. And how Fortinet makes it actually usable (without you ripping your hair out).

Let’s jump in.

What is WPA3?

Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) is the most recent wireless security protocol. Debuted from the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2018 — but the pick-up was increased in the previous two years.

It’s not just a version bump. It’s stronger encryption, better authentication, and — crucially — immunity to things WPA2 simply can’t handle anymore. Similar to offline dictionary attacks. Remember when attackers could just sniff packets and grind hashes offline until they hit pay dirt? Yeah. WPA3 closes that door.

Core improvements in WPA3:

• SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals): replaces that ancient PSK mechanism with something about as resilient to password-guessing as it gets.
• Forward Secrecy: Even if an attacker gets your key later — they can’t decrypt older packets.
• Per-Socket Encryption over Open Wi-Fi: WPA3-Personal also encrypts data streams even over an open Wi-Fi network. Think of cafes or airports — but not eavesdrop-friendly now.

And no, it’s not about using stronger passwords. Even in 2024, people choose “Password123.” But WPA3 moves the risk away from user behavior and back toward secure design.

WPA2 vs WPA3: The Differences

At this point you’ve got the hang of WPA1 at your office — I don’t blame you. Migration feels like a pain. But here’s the thing — WPA2 isn’t broken in a sense. It’s just old. Like attempting to use a floppy disk in a cloud-inspired setting.

My hot take? WPA2 was solid until KRACK came along and messed up the game. After that, it’s been…”patch-and-pray.”

When I experimented with WPA3 (before a bank deployment) on a Fortinet cobble we have in the lab, the single biggest thing that caught my attention? Speed. The “handshake dance” is quicker and a lot harder to fake.

Fortinet’s WPA3-Enabled APs

Now, I’ve been around a lot of vendors over the years. Some good. Some just flashy logos and XML bombs waiting to happen. However, Fortinet’s FortiAPs excelled when it came to deployment of WPA3 in real-world environments (high-density, multi-tenant, regulated).

We are using them not only in big enterprises and BFSI projects, but also in high-security Retail setups.

Why I go with Fortinet APs:

• Native WPA3 support, so no more firmware shenanigans. It just works.
• Centralized management: Through FortiGate or FortiWLC — if secure configs need pushing, easy-peasy.
• More integrated with Secure SD-WAN: Wireless is part of a zero-trust mesh, not an afterthought.
• Budding AI: Fortinet skirts the AI excesses and plot holes. No snake oil here.

Also — the CLI is intuitive. Honestly. With my 90s muscle memory to back me up, I hardly needed the manual.

Fortinet enjoys federated environments by using FortiCloud. Bonus tip: HP-AR and AR = SG for retail clients — all branches have Wi-Fi — WPA3 is deployed uniformly, one pane of glass.

PJ Networks’ WPA3 Deployment

So we’ve implemented this in several places recently, but one in particular.

A regional bank — multiple branches, legacy APs, bad encryption.

Problems:

• High attrition of guest Wi-Fi users in certain locations.
• Compliance pressure to reduce breach attack vectors.
• Rogue networks spun up by shadow IT (!!).

How we fixed it:

1. Phase 1: Initial evaluations. Discovered 42% of connections were still WPA2-TKIP (ouch).
2. Phase 2: Replaced legacy APs with Fortinet FortiAPs (we used 431F and 231F based on branch size).
3. Stage 3: Separate VLAN for guest and internal traffic. Internally enforced WPA3-SAE, WPA3-Enterprise critical zones (finance ops, HR).
4. Phase 4: Incorporated into FortiGate for policy enforcement + logging.

Result? Significantly reduced attack surface. Internal audit: Wi-Fi audit passed with flying colors. They were impressed.

And — the users have no complaints. On legacy devices, backwards compatibility took care of that. Also, we found a rogue AP misbehaving — it was an ancient home router somebody brought in. Yes, banks still do that.

Quick Take

In a hurry? Here’s the gist.

Why you want WPA3:

• Prevents brute force attacks on WiFi keys.
• Encrypts open networks.
• Enables Zero Trust wireless.
• Provides auditors one less opportunity to nitpick.

If your hardware isn’t capable of WPA3, it’s time.

PJ Networks deploys Fortinet FortiAPs to provide:

• Reliable WPA3-SAE support.
• Simple management of your proposals all in one dashboard.
• Seamless integration with FortiGate firewalls.

Entre nous, WPA2 is glass armor in an armor-piercing threat world.

Conclusion

I’ve seen the evolution of Wi-Fi from WEP (we used to joke that stood for the “Weak Encryption Protocol”) to WPA3. And to be honest, the leap from WPA2 is no less dramatic. Especially in the modern cybersecurity atmosphere where Wi-Fi is under siege by attackers to compromise enterprise core systems.

When you’re not encrypting wireless properly, you leave a side door open. And indeed — ransomware gangs now screen for this.

WPA3 is here. It’s mature. Fortinet makes that deployable. And with PJ Networks, it can be done without breaking your brains or your budget.

Let me leave you with this — You’re not going to serve raw chicken without taking its temperature, right? Never serve public Wi-Fi without verifying your encryption.

— Sanjay Seth
Cybersecurity Consultant
PJ Networks Pvt Ltd
Caffeinated up and securing all the things.