Published February 12th, 2014
THE APP RAP
By Eric Pawlakos
Eric Pawlakos is a sophomore at UC Davis, majoring in statistics. He is a member of the UC Davis rugby team, and enjoys playing guitar in his spare time.
App: Wickr by Wickr Inc.
For: iPhones and Android
phones
Price: Free
Encryption apps are becoming increasingly popular among a variety of users. This popularity is a result of the increasing body of evidence showing that data transmissions from smartphones can be intercepted and collected. However, there may be many instances where confidentiality of a smartphone transmission may be of paramount importance. That's where Wickr comes in handy. Wickr is much more than an app that encrypts your text messages. Using the most advanced encryption technology, it also allows you to safely and securely send audio, video, and voice messages. The company can't see the information you are sending, and when a message expires based on the user's self-destruct option, it is gone forever. The transmission leaves no trace, and it can never be recovered by anyone, including Wickr. The person who sends the transmission has complete control over who gets to see what, and for how long. This highly advanced encryption app brings 'sophisticated security and privacy technologies to everybody.' According to the company, their app is used by reporters, senators, police, doctors, patients, lawyers, bankers, military, and so on. For example, insurance companies and hospitals use wickr to ensure that transmission of medical records is kept completely private. Basically, anyone who has a vital need to ensure their data is only seen by the desired recipient would have a use for Wickr. Thankfully, it is an incredibly easy app to use. In today's information society, where interception of data is a common occurrence, Wickr stands out as a must-have app.





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