The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the hotel room. Zark rubbed his eyes, feeling the lingering effects of last night's drinks. He glanced at his phone, which buzzed softly on the bedside table. There was a notification from Telegram.
He picked up his phone and unlocked it, noticing the chat was from a group Samantha had created for ZeroCrypt. The message read:
"Put your name and codename on this
1. Samantha Dela Cruz - Cipher"
Zark blinked at the screen, still waking up. He scrolled up to the top of the chat, recalling when Samantha had first ordered everyone to create a Telegram account. It was during one of their strategy meetings shortly after they moved to the new headquarters.
Flashback: Samantha's Explanation
In the dimly lit conference room, Samantha stood in front of the group, her posture confident.
"Alright, everyone," she began, holding up her phone for emphasis,
"from now on, we'll be using Telegram for all group communications."
Rene, always the skeptic, raised an eyebrow.
"Why Telegram? There are other apps out there with more buzz."
Samantha didn't miss a beat.
"Good question, Rene. The reason we're going with Telegram is its built-in security features. First of all, it offers end-to-end encryption for Secret Chats, which means that the message is encrypted from your device to the recipient's device. No one else, not even Telegram, can access the content of those chats."
Glaiza, curious as always, leaned forward.
"What about group chats? Are they as secure?"
Samantha nodded. "Good point, Glaiza. Group chats don't have end-to-end encryption by default, but they still offer strong encryption that protects data during transmission. Plus, we can enable additional features like self-destructing messages and limit permissions to control who can send messages."
Dominic, ever the practical one, spoke up.
"And what happens if one of our accounts gets compromised?"
Samantha smiled, as if anticipating the question.
"That's why I'm also requiring everyone to set up two-step verification on your accounts. This adds an extra layer of security beyond just your password. If anyone tries to log in from an unknown device, they'll need to provide a code that only you will know."
Ericson, who was always cautious, asked, "What about our phone numbers? I don't like the idea of linking them to the app."
Samantha nodded in understanding.
"Another good question, Ericson. You can use usernames instead of phone numbers for people to contact you, which helps keep your number private. I'll also be assigning aliases for everyone to use in the group chat."
Ricardo, ever the joker, chimed in, "So, no sending memes in the main chat then?"
Samantha shot him a playful smirk.
"Not unless you want me to restrict your posting privileges, Ricardo."
The group chuckled, and Samanta continued, her tone more serious now.
"I'll be setting up additional security settings, such as enabling disappearing messages and setting permissions so that only I or designated admins can add members to the group."
Hiro, always one to think ahead, asked, "What if we need to communicate more discreetly? Can Telegram really keep us safe?"
Samantha nodded. "That's where Secret Chats come in handy. For one-on-one conversations, I recommend using Secret Chats with self-destruct timers for sensitive information. It's also important to clear chat histories regularly. And remember, no app is 100% foolproof, so always be cautious about what you share."
The members exchanged glances, some nodding in agreement. Samantha had covered everything they needed to know.
Back to the Present
Zark returned to the present, staring at the screen. He typed out his response to the message:
"2. Zark Morales- Devil in The Code"
As he hit "send," other members began responding to Samantha's request, adding their aliases to the list one by one. The group chat began to fill with names:
"3. Jojo Enriquez - CoinOps"
"4. Dominic Santillan - Decompiler"
"5. Ericson Valerio - LogJam"
"6. Hiro Kusanagi - SysGuard"
"7. Julia Pascua - NetStorm"
"8. Dezer Banal - CryptoKnight"
"9. Angelica Valencia - DataHawk"
"10. Roy Riviera - BreachMaster"
"11. Danilo Ocampo - VoicePhish"
"12. Ricardo Del Rosario - NetRock"
"13. Rene Belgica - BugPlay"
"14. Lawrence Lopez - EagleEye"
"15. Bobby Mandawe - ShadowLock"
"16. Christy Salazar - Echo"
"17. Glaiza Bakido - AIRebel"
"18. Jerry Enriquez - GearTech"
"19. Rommel Quiroga - TechSpark"
"20. Jobert Ibañez - Logistics king"
"21. Mike Bunagan - CodeMimic"
As more names filled the chat, Zark couldn't help but feel a sense of unity among the group, even if their mission would soon test their cohesion. He read the list over again, one name after another, as if preparing himself for what lay ahead. It was a reminder that, alias or not, they were all in this together.
Samantha's next message came through quickly:
"Good. Now that everyone has listed their alias, I'll set up the roles and permissions in the group chat. Stay alert. Updates about the mission will come in soon."
Zark locked his phone, letting out a slow breath. The real work would begin soon, and there was no turning back. As the morning sunlight began to fill his room, it served as a quiet but stark reminder that time was ticking.
Just as Zark was about to put his phone away, another message popped up from
Echo:
"Good morning, Mr. Hacker."
Zark raised an eyebrow at the message, his lips curling slightly in amusement.
"Weird," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
"The new members sure have an interesting way of starting conversations."
He wondered if it was just Christy's way of being friendly or if there was some underlying intent behind the message.
Either way, he decided to play it cool, replying with a simple:
"Morning."
With that, he tossed his phone onto the bed, deciding not to overthink it. There were bigger things to worry about than cryptic good mornings.