Team Work [Sink or Swim Book 2]

Chapter 8 - Look for the Obvious

Juliette set-up a prompt video conference call via a private encrypted channel. If the McIntyre family and their friends were being attacked, it was a necessary precaution and the pair needed to discuss the authenticity and content of the email they had received from Joanne.

"Aaron read the email carefully and tell me what exactly you see." Juliette said to the wily head of security. "Its actually rather obvious when read the mail, but not too obvious for someone without the necessary skills. Joanne really is a very clever young lady."

"I'm not seeing it Juliette. What is it I'm meant to be reading?" Aaron replied frustrated with the game Juliette had started, "What am I looking for?"

"It really is so obvious, I missed it on the first two reads myself. Paul called and said there was something odd about the mail so I assumed that it was a sending issue and even ran it through the computer and came up blank. It is really ingenuous. Oh, Joanne is just a genius" Juliette replied in admiration of the young security protégé, "She has used really basic cryptography!"

"Are you mad! Its a plain text email..." Aaron argued, but Juliette interrupted.

"Yes, but that's the beauty of it! You are a security guru and you haven't spotted it - think back to security 1-0-1 - think about what Joanne has been studying, think really, really basic, this is like a child's game... Here let me help by changing the format of the structure...."

Juliette worked her magic at the keyboard.

"Hello everyone, 

Enjoying our trip. 

Loving the countryside and coast. 

Please don't worry. 

I'm fine and so is Martin.

Not great weather. 

Rushing to lunch now. 

Unusually busy today.

Seen lots of sites and really enjoyed the Julius Caesar exhibition and seeing the written notes to his generals, in Rome.

Seen lots of galleries and shops. 

I hope to be back soon. 

Adventures for today await. Don't know when we will be back.

Send my regards to Alice - she has no email address, don't tell Bob about our holiday as he hasn't granted me leave.

Hope Eve is listening to her music and this message makes her happy.

Love you all, S1 Guys, Joanne and Martin."

"Aaron do you see it yet?" Juliette asked.

"You're reaching... surely...! This is like something in a Dan Brown novel." Aaron responded.

"Well, yes and no, look it's all there Aaron. Let me explain it...  The first clue is in the last line. 'S1' -  Joanne is referring to the  sentences - she is telling us to look at the first letter in each sentence.  When you do this it reads 'HELP IN RUSSIA'." Juliette explained.

"But how do you know this?" Aaron questioned.

"Well that's where the second clue comes in.  This is found in line nine - 'Julius Caesar' and 'written notes to his generals'. The Roman emperor is said to be the very first person to use cryptography as he did not trust anyone when sending commands to his generals. He used shift 3 or S3. You really need to read up on your history Aaron." Juliette explained. "The S1 is Shift 1 - that means no shift, one is one."