This document answers questions about Cisco LEAP an Extensible Authentication Protocol type from Cisco Systems®.
OVERVIEW
Q. What is Cisco® LEAP?
A. Cisco LEAP is an 802.1X authentication type for wireless LANs (WLANs) that supports strong mutual authentication between the client and a RADIUS server using a logon password as the shared secret. It provides dynamic per-user, per-session encryption keys.
Q. Is Cisco LEAP supported by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)?
A. Yes. Like all EAP types, Cisco LEAP can be used with WPA and WPA2 networks.
Q. Is Cisco LEAP included with all Cisco wireless products, Cisco Aironet products, and Cisco Compatible client devices?
A. Yes. Cisco LEAP is included, at no additional cost, with all Cisco wireless products, Cisco Aironet products, and Cisco Compatible client devices including Cisco Aironet autonomous and lightweight access points and Cisco wireless LAN controllers.
Q. Is Cisco LEAP a standard?
A. Cisco LEAP takes advantage of the standard 802.1X framework. Cisco was the pioneer in introducing Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) support for WLANs at a time when none of the existing client operating systems provided EAP support. Cisco introduced Cisco LEAP in December 2000 as a way to quickly improve the overall security of WLAN authentication.
Q. Is Cisco LEAP supported by the Cisco Unified Wireless Network?
A. Yes. The Cisco Unified Wireless Network supports a variety of EAP authentication types, including Cisco LEAP.
Q. What is the Cisco Unified Wireless Network?
A. The Cisco Unified Wireless Network is the industry's only unified wired and wireless solution to cost-effectively address the WLAN security, deployment, management, and control issues facing enterprises. This powerful solution combines the best elements of wireless and wired networking to deliver scalable, manageable, and secure WLANs with a low total cost of ownership. It includes innovative RF capabilities that enable real-time access to core business applications and provides proven enterprise-class secure connectivity. The Cisco Unified Wireless Network delivers the same level of security, scalability, reliability, ease of deployment, and management for wireless LANs that organizations expect from their wired LANs.
The Cisco Unified Wireless Network supports an enterprise-ready, standards-based, wireless security solution that gives network administrators' confidence that their data will remain private and secure when they use Cisco wireless products, Cisco Aironet Series products, Cisco Compatible Extensions products or Wi-Fi Certified WLAN client devices. This enterprise-class wireless security solution supports robust wireless LAN security services that closely parallel the security available in a wired LAN. It fulfills the need for consistent, reliable, and secure mobile networking by delivering industry-leading WLAN security services. It mitigates sophisticated passive and active WLAN attacks, interoperates with a range of client devices and provides reliable, scalable, centralized security management. The Cisco Unified Wireless Network allows network administrators to deploy large-scale enterprise WLANs with scalable problem-free security administration that does not increase the burden on the IT staff.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps5678/ps430/prod_qas0900aecd801764f1_ps2706_Products_Q_and_A_Item.html