Let's start with the basics. Why do you need military grade protection for your text messages? You're not doing anything that's top secret, right? Maybe not. But, it's a great option to have for those moments when you do need to conduct a little secret business. Perhaps your spouse asks for a credit card number? What if you are trying to plan a surprise party for a friend? What if grandma wants to send you a picture of that Christmas present that she's planning on buying, and you don't want little Johnny to see it while he's playing Angry Birds on your phone? Yes, it's simple enough for grandma. Whatever the reasoning, this is a tool that everyone should install right away.
Fine, but what exactly does it do? The first thing to know is that Wickr does not store any information on a central server that can be traced back to you. That's good. You have to have a password to log in to the application. Also good. Your messages are encrypted by both the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) symmetric block cipher implemented with random 256-bit keys and asymmetric RSA-4096 algorithm (cue blank stares). Trust me, that's also good. AND, your messages self destruct after a maximum of 6 days, leaving no trace behind. If you want to, you can set your message to self destruct after mere seconds of being opened by your recipient. You can send text, pictures, video and even audio securely to anyone who is also using the app.
And, as sad as this is, this is a great tool for parents to share with their teens. Let's face it, kids today are sometimes using traditional text messaging in ways that wouldn't make us proud. But, a review on the Wickr page highlights that a mother of three encouraged her daughters to install this app, because in the event that are going to send messages to a boyfriend that you wouldn't want the world to see, at least they can do it with an app that allows you to set a self-destruct timer before you send it out.
Please note that the developers see Wickr as a type of social media tool and not some sort of top secret communication app. It's meant to be shared with your friends and used often. In a world of lost cell phones and intercepted messages, it's nice to know that there is something out there that can help protect us from ourselves.
Get the app, share your username with your friends and know that you now have a safe secure way of communicating, in an interface that even grandma can use.
Wickr is currently only available for iPhone, but an Android version is in development.
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