Leaving Zum Roten Bären behind them, Rothütle and Gord walk through the quiet evening streets of Freiburg. Gas lamps hum softly, and the Bächle along Salzstraße scatters the lantern light into restless silver ribbons.
Rothütle unlocks the door to his small apartment, steps inside—and stops.
An envelope lies on the floor. Perfectly placed. Waiting.
He opens it carefully, scans the contents, and then says hastily, "I need to leave, Carl might be in trouble."
Gord whispers, "The timing is funny." Then she adds, "What does it say?"
Rothütle shows her the letter:
Herr Osterman,
I must speak with you at once.
Meet me by the Dreisam.
— Carl Benz
"What kind of handwriting is this?" Gord asks.
Rothütle frowns. "It's done by a mechanical writing apparatus. There is one called Schreibkugel created by Danes earlier this year. I didn't know Carl had access to such a device."
"Maybe he doesn't," Gord suggests. "If it's urgent, why not write it by hand?"
Rothütle exhales. “Then we do the opposite. We visit his host family on Salzstraße. If he actually wrote this, they’ll know.”
He gathers a few essentials, and then they step back into the foggy night.
Security Tip #2: Phishing Awareness
The term phishing refers to fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity in electronic communications. Attackers often impersonate people or organizations you trust to trick you into revealing personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or other confidential data.
This is how the NPM supply chain attack took place in September 2025.
If you get an unexpected email that requires urgent action, such as clicking a link to avoid losing access to your account, be cautious. Attackers often create a sense of urgency to prompt quick action without careful consideration. It's called social engineering.
There are a few ways to protect yourself from phishing attacks:
- Don't panic. Take a deep breath and think before you act.
- Check the validity of email signatures to ensure the sender is who they claim to be.
- Check the URL of links before clicking on them.
- Use the official website or app to access your accounts instead of clicking on links in emails.
What are some red flags that indicate a phishing attempt?
P.S.: Fun fact. The Schreibkugel typewriter mentioned in the story was invented by Rasmus Malling-Hansen, a Danish minister and educator, in 1865. It was one of the earliest typewriters and was designed to help blind people write. The Schreibkugel ("writing ball", in Danish Skrivekugle) featured a spherical arrangement of keys, which allowed for faster typing compared to traditional linear keyboards.
P.P.S.: Carl Benz, mentioned in the letter, was a German engineer and inventor who is widely credited with inventing the first practical automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. In 1886, he built the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is considered the first true automobile. In 1865, Carl Benz was studying mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Polytechnic School (now known as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) in Germany.
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