Device, method and computer readable medium for resisting downgrade attacks

A method executed by user equipment, wherein the method comprises:

• determining a security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to a network device for a first time;
• and
• in response to determining that the security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to the network device for the first time is WIFI Protected Access 3 (WPA3), applying an only-WPA3 rule,
• wherein the only-WPA3 rule only allows the user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and does not allow the user equipment to use other security authentication types with lower security than WPA3 to access the network device, and
• wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode and upon determining that the user equipment is in a connected state, the method further comprises any one or more of:
• receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state and, in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule, and when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device after deleting the only-WPA3 rule, using WPA2 for access;
• and
• receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state and, in response to receiving user input, deleting the only-WPA3 rule, and, when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device after deleting the only-WPA3 rule, using WPA2 for access.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of user equipment, cause the user equipment to perform the following operations:

• determining a security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to a network device for a first time;
• and
• in response to determining that the security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to the network device for the first time is WIFI Protected Access 3 (WPA3), applying an only-WPA3 rule;
• determining if the user equipment is in a connected state;
• when the network device is determined to be in a WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2) mode, receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule while the user equipment is in the connected state;
• and
• in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule,
• wherein the only-WPA3 rule only allows the user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and does not allow the user equipment to use other security authentication types with lower security than WPA3 to access the network device.