In this age of the internet, we mainly rely on VPN for protecting our privacy and data. VPN or Virtual Private Network is a secure communication channel that is used to link computers to create a private network. Thus, all your data can be saved.
There are many available VPN solutions. These are developed long ago and solutions like IPSec and Open VPN are quite slow. So, to deal with this problem, Jason Donenfeld came with a new VPN protocol that is faster and secure than others.
Also Read: What is Linux and Benefits of Using Linux Operating System?
Reasons for the Popularity of the Wireguard
Though there are many available VPN solutions in the market, WireGuard has made its name. In today’s article, we will discuss what WireGuard is and why Linux is going crazy over it? So, let’s start:
It is an open, fast and secure VPN. It mainly utilizes state of the art cryptography. WireGuard was first developed for Linux. However, it is also available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and android.
According to the WireGuard team, “WireGuard has been designed with ease-of-implementation and simplicity in mind. It is meant to be easily implemented in very few lines of code, and easily auditable for security vulnerabilities. Compared to behemoths like *Swan/IPsec or OpenVPN/OpenSSL, in which auditing the gigantic codebases is an overwhelming task even for large teams of security experts, WireGuard is meant to be comprehensively reviewable by single individuals.”
Also Read: Top 5 VPN Service for 2020
Reason for Its Popularity
If you compare WireGuard with other available options, you will find the reasons for its popularity. Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux is much impressed with Wireguard. So, he is eager to merge Wireguard in the Linux Kernel 5.6.
“Can I just once again state my love for it and hope it gets merged soon? Maybe the code isn’t perfect, but I’ve skimmed it, and compared to the horrors that are OpenVPN and IPSec, it’s a work of art.” -Linus Torvalds. However, the reasons for its popularity in the market are as follows:
1. WireGuard has a lean codebase with 400 lines of code whereas Open VPN has 100,000 lines of code. So, it is quite easier to debug WireGuard.
2. It uses all state of the art cryptography like the Noise protocol framework, Curve25519, BLAKE2, SipHash24, HKDF, and secure trusted constructions.
3. It is easy to configure and deploy. It functions in a similar way like SSH. Once connections are made by exchanging the key, you can relax. Moreover, it comes with a basic but powerful interface. So, you no need to manage connection or worry about the state or manage daemons.
Also Read: 8 Tips for Choosing the Best VPN Service for You
Hope you have liked the article and found it useful. WireGuard has already started to gain popularity. The introduction of WireGuard will change the future of VPN no doubt. Besides, some privacy-focused VPNs like Mullvad VPN has already started to use it.
