WireGuard is a virtual private network (VPN) protocol that encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address. It's newer than protocols like OpenVPN and IPSec, built with modern cryptography and a focus on performance.
Unlike older VPN standards that bundle many features into thousands of lines of code, WireGuard uses a minimal codebase. This makes it faster to audit for security flaws, faster to process data, and faster to set up on devices. It uses Curve25519 for key exchange and ChaCha20 for encryption by default, both considered state-of-the-art.
WireGuard works by creating a tunnel between your device and a VPN server. All traffic through that tunnel is encrypted. Websites and network observers see only that you're connected to the VPN server, not which sites you visit or what you do online.
A practical example: you're on public WiFi at a café. Without a VPN, someone could intercept your login credentials. With WireGuard active, your traffic is encrypted end-to-end, so eavesdroppers see only encrypted data.
When choosing a VPN, check whether it supports WireGuard alongside other protocols. WireGuard offers better speed and lower battery drain on mobile devices than older standards. However, it's still newer, so not all VPN providers support it yet. If privacy, speed, and reliability matter to you, WireGuard is worth seeking out.