Wickr
| File:Wickr Marklogotype horiz.png | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Secure instant messaging |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Dr. Robert Statica, Kara Coppa, Christopher Howell, Nico Sell, York Sell |
| Headquarters | New York , United States |
Key people |
|
| Parent | Amazon Web Services |
| Website | www |
AWS Wickr is a U.S.-based software firm headquartered in New York, specializing in secure instant messaging solutions. Its primary offering, Wickr, delivers end-to-end encrypted messages with self-destructing content across multiple operating systems including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. After being acquired by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in mid-2021, the company phased out its complimentary application by the close of 2023 to concentrate exclusively on enterprise-grade services.
History
Established in 2012 by Dr. Robert Statica alongside other co-founders, Wickr initially focused on the secure communications sector through its encryption-based messaging platform. Nico Sell held the CEO position until May 2015 before moving into a co-chairman role and leading the Wickr Foundation, a nonprofit entity supported by the company. Mark Fields, previously leading CME Group's Strategic Investment Group, then served as CEO until November 2016. Following this period, Joel Wallenstrom—co-founder of iSec Partners—assumed the roles of CEO and president, guiding the firm towards enterprise security markets.
On June 25, 2021, AWS completed its acquisition of Wickr, incorporating it into its suite of cloud security products. Post-acquisition, AWS halted new registrations for Wickr Me as of December 31, 2022, and fully retired the free version of the app on December 31, 2023, underscoring a strategic pivot to business-focused offerings.
Branding
The original Wickr name and logo were designed by Spanish artist Joan Bofill in 2012. In 2016, Daylight Design was responsible for creating a refreshed logo and visual branding identity for the company.
Products
Wickr is known for its secure messaging applications, particularly "Wickr Me," which supports Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, iOS, and Android platforms. The company attracted media coverage following a security incident involving competitor Snapchat.
In 2015, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) awarded Wickr a score of 5 out of 7 on its "Secure Messaging Scorecard," recognizing features such as encrypted data transmission, end-to-end encryption with keys independent of providers, user authentication mechanisms, forward secrecy capabilities, and recent third-party security assessments. The two points not awarded related to Wickr’s use of proprietary source code and limited public disclosure regarding its security architecture.
That year also saw Wickr release a white paper explaining its encryption protocol designed to ensure end-to-end security. Furthermore, the EFF granted Wickr four out of five stars across all applicable categories for its commitment to safeguarding user privacy.
Security programs
Since its inception, Wickr has undergone periodic security evaluations conducted by independent information security firms assessing its software codebase, security measures, and operational policies. The company maintains a bug bounty program that incentivizes ethical hackers to report vulnerabilities within its applications.
In December 2016, Wickr launched Wickr Professional, a secure business collaboration platform integrating features similar to Slack but enhanced with end-to-end encryption and ephemeral messaging functionality aimed at corporate clients.
February 2017 marked the public release of Wickr’s cryptographic protocol on GitHub, accompanied by an in-depth technical document titled “The Wickr Messaging Protocol,” promoting transparency and fostering trust. This protocol was initially deployed within Wickr Professional, with plans to extend it subsequently to the consumer-focused app Wickr Messenger.
Message expiration feature
Wickr Me offers users the option to assign expiration periods to encrypted messages, initially available on iOS and subsequently extended to Android devices. In December 2014, Wickr introduced a desktop application that facilitates secure message synchronization across multiple devices, enabling efficient communication across various platforms.
Utilization by public officials concerning disclosure laws
Following McKinsey & Company's engagement by the New York State Department of Corrections in 2014, it was reported that consultants and correctional staff exchanged project-related documents via Wickr, thereby circumventing public oversight and requests for official records.
Advocates for government transparency have pointed out Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's use of Wickr to delete government documents prior to determining their disclosure status under the Freedom of Information Act and corresponding state legislation.
Capital investment
In March 2014, Wickr obtained $9 million through Series A funding, led by Gilman Louie of Alsop Louie Partners, with participation from Juniper Networks and the Knight Foundation.
By June 2014, the company secured $30 million in Series B financing spearheaded by Breyer Capital, attracting investors including CME Group and Wargaming.
On 12 October 2021, disclosures revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) invested $1.6 million in Wickr via its venture capital division, In-Q-Tel. Gilman Louie, former CEO of In-Q-Tel, along with investors Richard Clarke and Michael Wertheimer, maintain close affiliations with U.S. intelligence and national security communities. Additionally, Erik Prince, founder of private security organization Blackwater, is among the primary investors.
Wickr Foundation
Founded by Nico Sell, the Wickr Foundation is a nonprofit organization that manages a social-impact venture fund dedicated to promoting the Private Web and revolutionizing Internet usage worldwide. The foundation emphasizes public education on privacy and information security while nurturing and funding innovations aimed at enhancing user autonomy and data ownership.
Committed to delivering privacy education to human rights defenders, policymakers, journalists, and young people, the foundation spearheads projects designed to elevate global understanding of privacy issues and encourage adoption of technologies that strengthen security.