This article originally appeared on Help Net Security.
Wickr announced the general availability of “Global Federation”, a feature that will allow enterprise and government entities to securely communicate using end-to-end encryption (E2EE) with individual users and mission critical partners outside of their network.
With Global Federation, all Wickr users across RAM, Enterprise and free Pro and Me offerings can now intercommunicate using state of the art end-to-end encryption while maintaining the highest level of security, administrative control, and compliance. This is a major step forward in securing data and communications as part of the supply chain.
“With Global Federation, Wickr is the first cross-functional E2EE product ecosystem and shadow IT killer on the market,” said Chris Howell, Wickr’s CTO and Co-Founder.
“Now, organizations finally have a way to let their users communicate securely with external parties without having them turn to unsanctioned apps. Wickr’s Global Federation connects consumer, enterprise, government and military users, allowing them to communicate with the same unmatched level of data security, compliance and end-to-end encryption no matter which Wickr product is being used.”
“With Global Federation, Wickr is the first cross-functional E2EE product ecosystem and shadow IT killer on the market,” said Chris Howell, Wickr’s CTO and Co-Founder.
“Now, organizations finally have a way to let their users communicate securely with external parties without having them turn to unsanctioned apps. Wickr’s Global Federation connects consumer, enterprise, government and military users, allowing them to communicate with the same unmatched level of data security, compliance and end-to-end encryption no matter which Wickr product is being used.”
Use cases for this capability extend from a forward deployed soldier communicating securely with a family member back home, to Federal civilian employees sharing threat information with industry stakeholders, to a business executive communicating securely with external parties.
Global Federation brings cost-effective encryption beyond the walled garden of a particular platform, enhancing productivity and efficiency, and eliminating the need for multiple secure communications applications without forcing organizations to purchase additional product licenses.
“This new feature is a game-changer for how users across the spectrum can securely collaborate internally and externally,” said Blake Moore, Wickr’s VP of Strategy and Operations.
“For members of the military, that includes communications with the interagency as well as with coalition partners and international allies. We’re thrilled to bring this new functionality to individual users, the enterprise and the Federal government at large, giving them a secure line to their colleagues and families while maintaining the highest level of operational security against malicious actors.”
The Global Federation feature also allows organizations to choose what type of Wickr deployment they want – on-premise, cloud, managed or unmanaged – without the worry that another organization’s choice will impact their ability to collaborate.
Wickr’s world class encryption and administrative controls allow organizations to provide their users secure and seamless external communication while maintaining full control of their organization’s user accounts, security settings and compliance policies.
“Wickr’s Global Federation provides the warfighter community with the enhanced capability to securely collaborate with civilians and public and private sector partners, no matter the location,” said Vincent Stewart, LtGen USMC (ret), former Deputy Commander, United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and former Director, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
“From military bases to U.S. embassies to agency offices across the country, maintaining operational security when collaborating is paramount. Wickr’s Global Federation enables complete compliance, provides the highest levels of end-to-end encryption, and eliminates security gaps when communicating outside the Department of Defense.”
Wickr’s Global Federation enables full functionality of all features across different versions of the platform, including messaging, calling, video and file-sharing.
