WireGuard May Change the Way We VPN
WireGuard is finally in the Linux code tree and will hopefully appear in the Linux kernel 5.6 release, but what does this mean for the VPNs of the world?
WireGuard is what many have called “a revolutionary approach to Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, and has been in development for years — since 2015 to be exact. Now with the release of 5.6 kernel, Linux users may have access to the next breakthrough process in VPN. You can see the Linux 5.6 kernel source tree at ARS Technica.
VPN = Additional Security & Access
VPNs are used for online privacy and security by creating a private network out of a public internet connection. VPNs establish encrypted connections and are more secure than the typical wifi hotspot.
The use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) has grown considerably over recent years as cyber threats continue to become a consistent threat. According to Statistica, the VPN market size has grown to $27.1 million.
Recent studies from Global Web Index report that more than 33% of internet users between the ages of 16–34 use a VPN on a regular basis showing that VPN use is very popular among younger generations.
VPNs are most often used on desktop at 17% of all internet users. However mobile and tablet use is not uncommon. 35% of desktop VPN users and 42% of mobile VPN users say that they use a VPN every day. Top countries for VPN use include Indonesia (38%), India (38%), Turkey (32%), China (31%), and Malaysia (29%).
VPNs allow users to quickly hide or mask their true IP address and are most often used to access better entertainment content from streaming services. However, WireGuard plans to make VPN connections even easier in the near future.
What is WireGuard?
With only 4,000 lines of code (compared to OpenVPN’s 100,000 lines), WireGuard is easy to install, maintain, and deploy. It makes VPN simple by exchanging basic public keys without having to worry about state or managing daemons. While very straightforward, WireGuard is a powerful interface.
“The most secure, easiest to use, and, simplest VPN in the industry.”
News of WireGuard has swept through many tech industries. For example, according to ZDNet, “Despite this simplicity, WireGuard incorporates state-of-the-art cryptography technologies such as the Noise protocol framework, Curve25519, ChaCha20, Poly1305, BLAKE2, SipHash24, and HKD. It’s also been shown to be secure by an academic mechanized cryptographic proof.”
According to the WireGuard website,
“ WireGuard is an extremely simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than IPsec, while avoiding the massive headache.”
Keep an eye out for WireGuard availability in April 2020.
Become a VPN provider with THG Hosting
VPN providers require powerful, secure, and reliable connections to customers around the globe. THG Hosting has the redundancy, bandwidth, and connectivity necessary for optimized VPN delivery. Let us design a customized solution for your VPN requirements today. Learn more at THG Hosting.
Originally published at https://thghosting.com on February 27, 2020.
