Surfshark Launches New VPN Protocol (Dausos)

Surfshark just launched its brand new VPN protocol called Dausos. We first covered the tease a few weeks ago, and now the full picture is here.

Most commercial VPNs lean on protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, or IKEv2. Those were built for enterprise networking and later retrofitted for consumer use. Dausos skips the retrofit and starts fresh.

The result is a protocol that gives each user a dedicated, private data tunnel instead of squeezing everyone through a shared one.

What Makes The Dausos Protocol Different

The headline feature is per-user dedicated tunnels. Your encrypted traffic no longer shares a virtual tunnel interface with other users on the same server, which cuts cross-traffic exposure and resource contention.

Dausos also uses AEGIS-256X2 encryption, which no other commercial VPN currently ships. AEGIS-256X2 runs faster than the industry-standard AES-GCM on modern hardware and holds up against future quantum attacks.

Surfshark is claiming speeds up to 30% faster than its existing protocols. The protocol also adapts in real time to network conditions, so switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data should feel smoother.

For the security layer, Dausos adds a self-signed root certificate authority using ML-DSA, a post-quantum signature scheme, plus a hybrid key exchange combining X25519 with ML-KEM. Cure53 audited the whole thing independently.

How to Use Surfshark Dausos Protocol

Right now Surfshark’s Dausos protocol only works on the macOS app downloaded from the Apple App Store. If you installed Surfshark using the DMG version, you’ll need to uninstall that first and grab the App Store build before the protocol shows up. Other platforms are coming soon.

I installed the Surfshark VPN app on my Mac and noticed the new Dausos protocol was available. To use this protocol you must launch the MacOS app and click Settings (left menu) – VPN Settings – Protocol – Dausos.

Worth noting: Dausos is still in beta. Surfshark recommends switching back to WireGuard or OpenVPN if you hit connection hiccups while testing it.

If you run Surfshark on your Fire TV or Android TV/Google TV device, check our guide on installing a VPN for setup walkthroughs once the protocol expands to more platforms.

Final Thoughts from Troy

Surfshark still sits at the top of our VPN rankings, and Dausos looks like a real attempt to move the category forward rather than slap a new label on existing tech.

Dedicated tunnels and post-quantum encryption are not small claims, and getting Cure53 to sign off adds weight. The macOS-only rollout is the catch. Most cord-cutters run VPNs on streaming devices, phones, tablets, and routers, so the real test comes when Dausos lands on those platforms.

If the speed gains hold up outside a marketing deck, this could push the rest of the industry to stop adapting old protocols and start building new ones.

We want to know your thoughts. What do you think about Surfshark’s new Dausos protocol? Let us know in the comment section below!

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For more details on this story, refer to the official Surfshark announcement, their help documentation, and their video below.