We learned about RC4 previously, which is a stream cypher algorithm. Looking at the commands we used in OpenSSL, you may notice that there are very few stream cyphers available. Given that RC4 is one of the few options, it is import to be aware of its vulnerabilities. By studying the vulnerabilities discovered in RC4, it can help us understand the fallibility of all encryption algorithms, and can help us understand the risks and evaluating future vulnerabilities in other protocols assumed to be secure.
Read this academic paper that discusses some of the vulnerabilities discovered in RC4: http://www.isg.rhul.ac.uk/tls/RC4passwords.pdf
Summarize this paper’s findings, and how serious these concerns are to IT security practitioners. Research protocols and standards that rely on RC4, explain which may be at risk, and how to mitigate this risk.