Static SSH credentials-passwords or even keys-are increasingly risky. One leaked key or weak passphrase can mean full server compromise.

The solution? Add TOTP-based two-factor authentication. It's lightweight, standards-based, and works with any authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, Raivo, etc.). No external services, no complex tooling.

I walk through enabling TOTP for SSH on modern Ubuntu and Debian systems using the google-authenticator PAM module-covering setup, safe testing lockout. All in five minutes.

Most CI/CD and backend systems come with built-in notifications – but what about standalone scripts, cron jobs, or custom services that still need reliable alerts? Telegram Bot API offers a simple, fast, cross-platform solution that requires no SDKs and takes only minutes to set up.

With just a bot token and a chat ID, engineers can send messages directly to Telegram through a single HTTP request.

Creating a bot via @BotFather, retrieving your chat ID, and sending a message through GET or POST makes Telegram an accessible, lightweight alerting channel for virtually any environment.

In an increasingly complex tooling landscape, Telegram's straightforward API proves that effective engineering doesn't need to be over-engineered. Sometimes the best solution is the one that just works – instantly.