WireGuard

WireGuard is a modern, open-source Virtual Private Network (VPN) protocol designed for simplicity, speed, and security. It creates secure, encrypted tunnels over IP networks, functioning as a Layer 3 secure network interface.

Key facts

First appeared: 2016
Category: cloud_infrastructure
Problem solved: WireGuard was created to address the complexity, performance limitations, and security concerns of existing VPN protocols like IPsec and OpenVPN, aiming to provide a simpler, faster, and more auditable solution for secure network tunneling.
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, OpenWrt

Related technologies

OpenVPN
IPsec
Linux Kernel
Docker
Kubernetes
Cloud Platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Network Routers
Firewalls (iptables, nftables)
OpenWrt
Android
iOS
macOS
Windows

Notable users

NordVPN
ProtonVPN
Mullvad
ExpressVPN
IVPN
Cloudflare (for Warp)
Arch Linux
Debian
Ubuntu
many cloud service users