Hacking. Disinformation. Surveillance. CYBER is Motherboard’s podcast and reporting on the darkish underbelly of the web.
U.S. Customs and Border Safety (CBP) is deploying encrypted messaging app platform Wickr throughout “all parts” of the group, based on public procurement information reviewed by Motherboard. Amazon Internet Companies (AWS) just lately acquired Wickr.The information exhibits the elevated transfer to safer communications by legislation enforcement companies, and particularly Wickr. Motherboard beforehand reported that CBP paid Wickr $700,000 for product licenses. Now, a brand new contract price roughly $900,000 offers perception into the size of the Wickr deployment.An outline of the contract says it’s “to resume and procure extra Wickr software program licenses {and professional} assist to deploy a safe instantaneous messaging platform for multi-purpose purposes throughout all CBP parts.” The contract dates from September 16, based on the information.
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Wickr affords a free app for customers to ship end-to-end encrypted messages and voice calls. The app additionally deletes messages after a sure time. For companies and authorities companies, Wickr sells numerous paid merchandise. Wickr Professional and Wickr Enterprise are geared in the direction of companies; Wickr Enterprise consists of the potential to log communications for auditing functions. Wickr RAM, one other comparable product, is constructed for army clients. It’s accredited by the Division of Protection, based on Wickr’s web site.CBP acknowledged a request for remark however didn’t present a press release in time for publication. Wickr didn’t reply.In June AWS acquired Wickr, with Stephen Schmidt, vice chairman and chief info safety officer for AWS describing Wickr on the time in a press release as “an modern firm that has developed the business’s most safe, end-to-end encrypted, communication expertise.”“Immediately, public sector clients use Wickr for a various vary of missions, from securely speaking with office-based workers to offering service members on the tactical edge with encrypted communications. Enterprise clients use Wickr to maintain communications between workers and enterprise companions non-public, whereas remaining compliant with regulatory necessities,” Schmidt added.Subscribe to our cybersecurity podcast CYBER, right here.
