What is CCMP?

• A. An AES based encryption mechanism that is stronger than TKIP; sometimes referred to as AES
• B. A hashing algorithm used in TLS
• C. A key exchange protocol
• D. A DES-based encryption mode

Answer: (A)

CCMP is a wireless security protocol that uses AES as its encryption core, specifically AES in Counter mode with CBC-MAC for authentication. This combination provides both confidentiality and integrity for 802.11 frames, making it stronger than TKIP—the older WPA option. In practice, CCMP is the AES-based mechanism used in WPA2, which is why it’s described as AES-based and more secure than TKIP. It isn’t a hashing algorithm used in TLS, a key exchange protocol, or DES-based encryption.