Fortune Favors the Cautious
In the John Wick dark universe, an underground criminal society is ruled by an unspoken code and a deep distrust of technical gadgets.
The obvious answer is that this is a secret society that traffics in crime. However, in present "real world" time the average citizen should take heed of some of these hints, not to hide illegal activity, but just their own privacy.
Secretaries type into archaic computers that are cheap to own and repair and are mostly safe from spyware and malware. They also have no internal storage. Phones are rotary dial connected to land lines via a PBX system. Bottom line, old tech is hard to hack.
The currency used by those who exist in this murky underworld is of course a gold coin. No paper bills. Assassins seem to understand very well that paper currency can become worthless or worse be tracked.
The New York City library is a safe repository with books hollowed out to hold valuables. Most of the criminals in the John Wick universe have several places where they stash loot, clothing and anything needed to get out of Dodge quickly.
One of the most interesting characters is the Bowery King. He operates an intelligence network covering New York City. His eyes and ears are agents playing the role of panhandlers and those on the fringes of society who are rarely noticed.
He manages his own hack-proof message service by using homing pigeons who can transport information or even small objects.
The Bowery King took his cue from history where pigeons have been used by governments and the military around the globe for centuries, not only to exchange information but in espionage operations as well.
In the 19th century the Rothschild family and banking dynasty relied on pigeons to know the outcome of battles and capitalize on that knowledge before even the government was aware of the information. This assured their fortunes.
The retro vibe flavor of the film is better understood by those that have lived more than 40 years, but its message to secure your secrets... whatever they might be, should adhered to by all.
FORTIS FORTUNA CAUTUS