AP® Cybersecurity glossary

Beacon frame

A frame a wireless access point broadcasts several times a second to announce its service set identifier (SSID) and wireless encryption protocols.

Appears in the course and exam description (CED): 3.1.B.43.1.C.63.2.B.1

Why it matters in Unit 3

Beacon frames that reach outside the building let adversaries learn about the network. Unit 3 rates this a low risk; disabling beacon frame broadcasting reduces it.

Example

Your phone’s list of nearby Wi-Fi networks is built from the beacon frames it receives.

Learn it properly, with a checkpoint Wireless basics: access points, SSIDs and beacon frames

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