I came across an App recently that got me to thinking that I am sure glad that I no longer have teenagers living at home. In a review of a forensic examination of a properly subpoenaed mobile phone, I discovered an app loaded into the iPhone called “Wickr.” I promptly loaded it on mine so I could give it a test ride and I sent a XXX text to my husband (who also had to load the app on his mobile so it wasn’t secretively sexy). I set up the self-destruct feature and *poof* it vanished in front of my eyes. I’m familiar with SnapChat, of course, but I also know that SnapChat got busted when it was discovered that the supposedly vanishing snaps were sitting on a server somewhere. Since that time, other genuinely “invisible” apps have been developed where the user’s personal information is not known (aka, no account with name or email), nothing
sits on a server, the message is encrypted, and the message vanishes after some set amount of time. Here comes Wickr.
That set me thinking. I thought about the difficulty in parenting a teenager with these “tools”
readily available. In my day it was instant messaging cryptic abbreviations; remember “POS,” parents over shoulder? At least I could check a history. I thought that if my children were out way beyond their curfew there would be digital traces showing their plan for the evening that I could find. The advent of Wickr and other privacy apps scares me. Even the app store description of Black SMS is frightening. See image above.
Then I thought about the practical, business uses of apps like Wickr or TigerText (not so
much Black SMS). I text my co-workers, and some messages contain confidential information.
We will be switching to a secure platform such as Wickr for any communications that are sensitive client-related matters.
sits on a server, the message is encrypted, and the message vanishes after some set amount of time. Here comes Wickr.
That set me thinking. I thought about the difficulty in parenting a teenager with these “tools”
readily available. In my day it was instant messaging cryptic abbreviations; remember “POS,” parents over shoulder? At least I could check a history. I thought that if my children were out way beyond their curfew there would be digital traces showing their plan for the evening that I could find. The advent of Wickr and other privacy apps scares me. Even the app store description of Black SMS is frightening. See image above.
Then I thought about the practical, business uses of apps like Wickr or TigerText (not so
much Black SMS). I text my co-workers, and some messages contain confidential information.
We will be switching to a secure platform such as Wickr for any communications that are sensitive client-related matters.