The present invention provides a method and system for using a key lease in a
secondary authentication protocol after a primary authentication protocol has been
performed. In one embodiment, the primary authentication protocol comprises a strong,
secure, computationally complex authentication protocol. Moreover, the secondary
authentication protocol comprises a less complex (compared to the primary authentication
protocol) and less secure (compared to the primary authentication protocol) authentication
protocol which can be performed in a length of time that is shorter than a length
of time required to perform the primary authentication protocol. In one embodiment,
a wireless client electronic system (WC) completes the primary authentication protocol
with a wireless network access point electronic system of a wireless network (AP).
When the WC is required to authenticate with another AP, the WC authenticates itself
with another AP by using the secondary authentication protocol. However, the WC
is required to periodically complete the primary authentication protocol, guarding
against the possibility that the secondary authentication protocol may be exploited
by an unauthorized intruder to attack the wireless network. In one embodiment,
a third party technique is implemented to store a key necessary to perform the
secondary authentication protocol.
