Knowledge Base

The pre-shared key^[124] can ensure authenticity^{[201][202][203]} of the communicating parties mutually based on symmetric key^{[193][194][195]}s that are shared in advance among the parties. Combined with a key exchange^[467] that has forward secrecy^{[135][136][137][138]} property algorithm can protect against dictionary attack^[504][505]s by passive eavesdroppers (but not active attackers). Pre-shared keys with low entropy^[380], may caused by a weakness^{[359][360][361]} of random number generator^[1][2][3], can be easily broken in brute-force attack^[555]. Leading client applications do not use this algorithm. Unless your application or requirements specifically call for their use, it is generally safer to avoid cipher suites that are not adopted and supported by a critical mass of the industry.

If your application or requirements specifically call for the use of algorithms which are not used by the leading client applications set the cipher suite order explicitly and cipher suites used by the leading client applications be preferred over the ones which do not used by them.