Open-source VPNs enable secure remote access to a company's internal resources for employees working away from company offices. This ensures the confidentiality and integrity of data, which is crucial for maintaining trust and compliance with data protection laws.

What is an open source VPN?

An open source VPN is a virtual private network that is built using open source software. Being ‘open source’ means the code is publicly available for anyone to inspect, modify, and enhance, which offers a level of transparency and flexibility that you don't get with proprietary VPN solutions. 

Open source code is like a community project where multiple contributors can identify bugs, improve security, and add new features over time. 

One of the most popular open source VPNs is WireGuard. It's relatively new but has gained a lot of attention for its simplicity and high performance. Unlike other VPNs that might have bloated code and complex configurations, WireGuard aims to be lean and fast while still being highly secure. 

WireGuard is written with modern cryptographic techniques and has fewer lines of code, making it easier to audit and less prone to vulnerabilities. You can use WireGuard on Linux, Windows, Mac, and even mobile platforms like iOS and Android.

Using an open source VPN comes with the advantage of cost savings. You don't have to pay for licenses or subscriptions. Also, because the code is open, you can tailor the VPN to fit your specific corporate needs, which is great if you have unique security requirements or need to integrate the VPN with other systems.

However, keep in mind that using open source software also means you’re responsible for maintaining it. You need to stay up-to-date with security patches and updates. It might require a bit of a learning curve and technical know-how, but the benefits often outweigh these challenges.

Open source VPNs vs proprietary VPN solutions 

Customization

Open source VPNs give you the freedom to customize the code to suit your specific needs. This is a huge plus if your company has unique security requirements. 

With proprietary VPN solutions, you're often stuck with a one-size-fits-all approach. In this case, you might find the flexibility of something like WireGuard invaluable.

Security

Both open source and proprietary VPNs offer strong encryption and security features, but the transparency of open source can be appealing. With open source, the code is publicly available, so anyone can inspect it for vulnerabilities. This means that any security flaws can be quickly identified and patched by the community. 

On the other hand, proprietary solutions tend to rely on their in-house teams for updates and fixes. This can sometimes result in slower response times to vulnerabilities.

Integration

Proprietary VPNs often come with seamless integration options for other enterprise solutions. Open source options can also integrate well, but it might require more effort and technical know-how on your part.

Performance

This is an area where it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some open source solutions like WireGuard are known for their speed and efficiency, sometimes even outperforming proprietary options. However, proprietary solutions are often optimized for performance in corporate environments and can provide more consistent connectivity and speed.

Ease of use

Proprietary solutions generally offer more polished and user-friendly interfaces. They also often include additional features like automatic updates, user management tools, and detailed analytics, which can be especially useful for larger organizations. Open source VPNs can have a steeper learning curve and may require more manual setup and maintenance.

Overall, the choice between open source and proprietary VPNs will depend on your company's specific needs and capabilities. If cost savings and customization are top priorities, open source might be the way to go. But if you're looking for ease of use, dedicated support, and seamless integration, a proprietary solution might better serve your needs.

Cost efficiency

Unlike proprietary VPNs, open source options can often be deployed without hefty licensing fees. For example, WireGuard is free to use, which can save you significant amounts of money, especially useful for small to medium-sized businesses that need to keep a close eye on their IT budget.

Open source VPNs can often be run on a variety of platforms, from dedicated servers to virtual machines to cloud platforms. This flexibility allows you to leverage existing infrastructure, minimizing additional expenses. 

With open source VPNs you don't pay more as you add more users or servers. That's a huge advantage for growing businesses. Proprietary solutions also often come with features you don't need or lack features we do. 

Thanks to a strong and diverse community support system, open source options offer great cost efficiency if you need to develop a specific feature. There's a good chance someone has already developed the feature you have in mind, so you may not have to develop it yourself. This can lead to even more cost savings.

Transparency

With open source VPNs, the code is available for anyone to review. This means you can inspect, audit, and verify the security yourself. There are no hidden backdoors or suspicious code that you need to worry about. If a VPN’s source code is publicly available for scrutiny, you can trust it to handle your sensitive corporate data.

Customization

Open source VPNs allow us to tweak and modify the software to fit our specific needs. Whether it's adjusting encryption protocols or integrating with your existing authentication systems, the flexibility is there. 

Take Netmaker, for example; it is highly adaptable and can be configured to run on various platforms, making it easier for you to maintain a uniform network security policy across different devices and operating systems in our network.

Community support 

The community support surrounding open source VPNs is invaluable. There are forums, discussion boards, and extensive documentation available, maintained by a global community of developers and users.

If you run into issues or need some guidance, chances are someone has already faced a similar problem and can offer a solution. The strong community behind projects like WireGuard ensures you are never alone when troubleshooting or seeking to optimize your VPN setup.

This means bugs are identified and fixed faster, and new features are rolled out more regularly. Unlike proprietary VPNs where you're dependent on a single company's update cycle, open source VPNs are often updated more frequently.

That strong community support can reduce the need for expensive support contracts. Of course, there's always the option to pay for professional support if needed, but having the choice is valuable.

Reliability

Some open source VPNs are known for their high speed and reliability. WireGuard, for instance, has gained popularity for its lean codebase and efficient performance, often resulting in faster connection speeds and lower latency compared to some commercial VPN solutions. This means your employees can enjoy a smoother, more reliable connection, which is crucial for productivity.

Flexibility and customization

Open Source VPNs offer a level of adaptability that's hard to match. Since the source code is publicly accessible, you can tweak and modify the VPN to fit your exact needs. This is beneficial for businesses with highly specific needs or those looking to integrate VPN solutions into existing systems seamlessly.

WireGuard, for example, allows you to script the configuration process, which can be a lifesaver when managing a large number of connections or clients. Many have also found it straightforward to integrate WireGuard with other open-source tools for monitoring and management, like Prometheus and Grafana. This adds another layer of observability and control without much overhead.

The community support element also unlocks noteworthy customization benefits. There are tons of plugins and extensions developed by the community that can add functionalities we never even thought of. If the feature you need does not exist, you have the option to develop it yourself or hire someone to do it. This is the kind of freedom proprietary VPN solutions just can’t offer.

Enhanced security

Anyone can inspect the open source code for vulnerabilities, which makes it hard for malicious actors to add backdoors. Plus, with many eyes on the code, bugs are found and fixed quickly.

Take WireGuard, for example. It's known for its simplicity and efficiency. Because its codebase is small, it's easier to audit. Less code means fewer bugs. And fewer bugs mean fewer security risks.

By using open source VPNs like these, you are not stuck waiting for a vendor to release a patch. The community is proactive. If a vulnerability is discovered, it's addressed swiftly. This means your corporate data stays secure with minimal downtime.

Moreover, open source VPNs support strong cryptographic algorithms. WireGuard, for example, employs state-of-the-art cryptography, making your connections both fast and secure.

Since the code is open, you can also tailor the VPN to meet your specific security needs. Custom scripts and additional layers of protection become feasible. You are not limited by what a vendor provides out of the box.

The community support that open source VPN protocols provide also enhance your data security. When questions or issues arise, you have a wealth of knowledge at your disposal. Forums, documentation, and user contributions offer invaluable resources for bugs and threat events. This collective wisdom helps you implement best practices and avoid common pitfalls.

Therefore, the enhanced security of open source VPNs is more than just robust encryption. It’s about transparency, rapid patching, strong community support, and the ability to customize. These factors together make open source VPNs a compelling choice for any corporate network.

What does WireGuard bring to enterprise open source VPN architecture?

WireGuard has been making waves in the VPN world, praised for its simplicity and performance. Unlike some of the older, more complex protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard is designed to be lightweight and easy to configure, which is a big plus for many people in IT.

Another of WireGuard’s noted attributes is its speed. It's built to be efficient and fast, using state-of-the-art cryptography. For example, it employs the Noise Protocol Framework, which is known for its security and performance. This means that data transmission is not only secure but also blazingly fast compared to other protocols.

Another advantage of WireGuard is its simplicity. Setting it up usually takes just a few minutes. Setting up OpenVPN, for one, can feel overwhelming because of the sheer number of configuration options. With WireGuard, it's straightforward. You generate a pair of cryptographic keys, set up your interfaces, and you're good to go.

In a corporate environment, this simplicity translates to less overhead. You don't have to spend hours setting up and maintaining the VPN. Plus, WireGuard's codebase is much smaller than the other options, which means there are fewer places for vulnerabilities to hide. This smaller attack surface is a security benefit that we can all appreciate.

Many companies have adopted WireGuard with great success, with some building their entire VPN service around WireGuard. They've found that it's not only more secure but also more cost-effective due to lower resource usage.

It's also worth mentioning that WireGuard is cross-platform. Whether you're running Windows, Linux, macOS, or even mobile operating systems like Android and iOS, WireGuard has you covered. This flexibility is crucial in a diverse IT environment where different teams might be using different systems.

So, if you're considering an open-source VPN solution for your corporate network, WireGuard is worth a look. Its combination of speed, simplicity, and security makes it a strong candidate for modern network environments.