- Simply put, WireGuard
is a new open-source VPN connection protocol
that is proven to be faster, simpler
and more lightweight than other encryption protocols.
If that doesn't make sense to you,
don't worry, you're not alone.
You can think of it this way.
OpenVPN, the current standard for VPN protocols, runs
on 600,000 lines of code.
IPsec, another standard protocol,
has 400,000 lines of code.
WireGuard only has 4,000.
That's a 99% reduction in code,
which not only makes it easier to manage,
but also to debug.
In this case, simpler is better.
And not only that, but it also offers
what is considered to be a more secure encryption protocol.
Over the next few minutes, I'm gonna explain to you
how WireGuard works,
the benefits of using the WireGuard protocol
and the current VPNs they're using
in implementing the WireGuard protocol.
(scratching)
Thanks for joining me in another All Things Secured video.
My name's Josh,
and I wanna start by saying
that I'm not gonna make this a technical video
that walks through how the encryption works,
the hashing algorithms or any of the data authentication.
I wanna explain this in layman's terms
that you can understand exactly
what you're using to connect, using this VPN protocol.
I'll start by saying that WireGuard
was developed back in 2016 for the Linux operating system.
And what we're dealing with here is a connection protocol
that allows for communication between two devices.
That could be your computer,
and your corporate network, a server and a machine,
or it could even be your phone
and the cellular network, whatever.
This is important when passing sensitive information
across the open internet.
Now, there are already a lot
of great encryption methods already in use
when you're on the internet,
but a virtual private network, or a VPN, just gives you
that added layer of security
But what makes WireGuard so special
when we already have plenty of VPN protocols
that we can already use?
It can really be boiled down to three things.
First, WireGuard provides a more stable connection
than previous protocols.
Even in my own experience,
when I'm connecting to another server
using the WireGuard protocol,
it connects in one to two seconds
compared to the maybe five to 10 seconds
that it would take with OpenVPN.
It can also switch between mobile and wifi networks
without dropping the connection,
which is something that's a huge benefit to you, as a user.
You see, older connection protocols
were designed decades ago
and have been slowed by over-engineering
to help them meet specific needs along the way.
Second, WireGuard has been tested
to perform four times faster than other OpenVPN
and IPsec protocols.
That means you can get four times faster speed.
And if you've used a VPN for any period of time,
you know how important that is.
Finally, WireGuard utilizes modern cryptography
that has been peer-reviewed
and promoted by numerous security experts.
All VPN protocols provide a level of security,
but only WireGuard takes advantage of new methods,
such as Cryptokey Routing.
For you, the user, the only thing that really matters
is the fact that you'll get connections faster,
they will be more stable
and they'll be a lot faster as you're using the internet.
Now, unless you're incredibly tech savvy
and feel comfortable setting up
your own virtual private network
on your computer or home server,
more than likely you're gonna be using a commercial VPN
that has integrated WireGuard into their applications.
So which VPNs have done this?
If you're watching this video months
or years down the road, chances are
it's going to be most of them.
However, at this point, I'm gonna share with you the ones
that have been early adopters
to the WireGuard protocol,
Mullvad VPN was one of the first VPNs
to integrate WireGuard,
and it's even become their default protocol
on most of the operating systems.
Mullvad is an open-source project
that requires a bit of technical know-how to set up
and it's also not the cheapest VPN on the market,
but it is great for privacy-focused individuals.
For more consumer-friendly options,
I recommend NordVPN with NordLynx or VyprVPN.
Both of these services offer easy to install
and use apps that work on Windows, iOS, macOS and Android.
In each case, you wanna make sure
that you go into the advanced settings
and connect to the appropriate connection protocol,
as you see me doing here,
connecting to the NordLynx protocol
and the NordVPN software.
If you've been using a VPN for any period of time,
you should notice an immediate improvement,
not only on the time that it takes to connect to a server,
but also on your connection speeds.
If you have any specific questions related to WireGuard,
leave them in the comments below,
give this video a thumbs up
and subscribe to the All Things Secured YouTube channel.
Thanks.