After the attack, Nigel wanted to ensure secure communication with his friends, since their previous communications via the game were breached somehow. Nigel smiled at the idea of communication via a mobile app.

Milford was a small town, but not so small that it didn't have a local computer shop. Mr. Henry, who ran Better Buy Computers, spent a lot of time with his customers, a move that set his shop apart from the big guys. He held free seminars and classes, teaching local townsfolk anything from spreadsheets to internet access.

It was even rumored that Mr. Henry was a former government agent. If anyone knew how to protect communications, it was Mr. Henry!

The day he got out of the hospital, Nigel walked into Better Buy Computers. Mr. Henry was helping an elderly woman with her tablet.

“Be right with you, Nige.”

Nigel thanked him as he browsed the display cases. Approximately ten minutes later, Mr. Henry called out for Nigel. As Nigel approached, he involuntarily looked around the store for any threat that may have been lurking.

“Can we talk in private?” Nigel asked.

“Sure. It's time for my lunch break anyway.”

Mr. Henry turned over the "Be Back Soon" sign and locked the front door. Nigel followed him toward the back of the store. The hallway narrowed to reveal a room just big enough to fit a desk and a couple of chairs.

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“Have a seat, Nigel.”

Nigel sat in the small guest chair.

“How can I help you?”

“Mr. Henry, if I wanted to send a message securely without having to rely on email client encryption, how would I do it?”

“Why are you so interested?”

“A school project, just doing research. As part of the project, I need to interview an expert on the subject and submit a written report along with a prototype.”

“Oh! Well, email is the most common method, but you do have a couple other options. You could use a mobile encryption service that actually uses its own network. While it's secure, the only one I know of is run by a company in Russia.”

“What if I wanted to send messages through cryptocurrency networks?” Nigel asked.

“Before I answer that, how much do you know about cryptocurrencies?”

“I know they are a new form of digital money, but that is about it.”

“Correct. Some of the secure coins offer messaging services, but there is a catch,” Mr. Henry explained. “Cryptocurrency networks charge a small fee for the service. The downside is that everyone on the recipient list must have a ‘wallet.’ This wallet not only stores the cryptocurrency, but the messages as well.”

“Right, each recipient of the secure message I send will need their own address and wallet to send messages to. Any other downsides?”

“Transactions, including secure messages, take time to process. Remember that the transactions need to be verified a number of times before the cryptocurrency can be transferred, and the same is true for a message.”

“Would you be willing to help me put something together?”

“Absolutely!”