October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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If you’ve been following OFFGRIDweb or our social media pages, you’ll no doubt know that September was National Preparedness Month. This year’s campaign emphasized the importance of being “prepared, not scared” and the value of creating disaster plans within your family and local community. Although this topic is one that deserves year-round attention, September is now behind us, and the arrival of October brings a new topic to discuss — one that’s extremely relevant to all preparedness-minded individuals. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM).

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS), a department of DHS, is spearheading the spread of this awareness campaign. The goal of NCSAM 2019 is to “emphasize personal accountability and stress the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity at home and in the workplace.” Much like National Preparedness Month, NCSAM has been broken down into a few easily-digestible points — Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. As you may have guessed, “IT” is used in reference to all forms of information technology.

Above, you can see an outline of the sub-topics under each point. NICCS offers an extensive PDF guide with more details on each sub-topic on its National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2019 landing page. Below, there’s a flyer with a few quick tips that should be doable for users of any technical skill level.

As we’ve frequently reiterated, cybersecurity is critical for everyone. You don’t have to be a tech expert to understand the life-altering consequences of having your bank account hacked, all your computer’s files erased by ransomware, or your cell phone conversations monitored by criminals. We encourage you to use National Cybersecurity Awareness Month as an opportunity to check your own security measures and spread the word to your family.

For some more cybersecurity tips, refer to our previous articles on securing your home WiFi network and Google’s phishing identification quiz.

Distance from Disaster – The HAZMAT Rule of Thumb

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When a disaster strikes, one of the most important variables to consider is distance. Understanding how far you are from the epicenter of the danger will allow you to make immediate decisions about next steps, whether that’s to stay where you are or to evacuate immediately to a safer location. This is especially critical in incidents where hazardous materials may be involved — for example, an industrial accident or a terrorist attack. These events may spread dangerous chemical, biological, or radiological contamination that’s invisible to the naked eye, and if you’re too close, you could be exposed. The HAZMAT rule of thumb can help you quickly gauge if it’s time to bug out.

Photo: Koalabaerchen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

In The First Responder’s Field Guide to Hazmat & Terrorism Emergency Response, author Jill Levy explains how this rule of thumb can serve as a gauge of evacuation distance:

“If you’re not sure of the appropriate distance, back out and err on the side of safety. Consider, too, the old “rule of thumb.” If you’ve backed out to the recommended distance but can see the incident beyond your outstretched thumb, you may still be too close.”

Photo: Flickr.com/DieselDemon | CC BY 2.0

Although this applies to many HAZMAT incidents, it’s not universal. Internet rumors have spread claiming that this rule applies to the mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion, but that’s false. Multiple experts have attested that the heat, blinding light, pressure blast, and fallout from an actual nuclear explosion can still be dangerous even if the cloud appears smaller than your outstretched thumb. If it’s visible at all, you’re in big trouble. Unlike dirty bombs, which use conventional explosives to scatter radioactive materials over a smaller radius, the danger radius of an A-bomb or H-bomb can reach for dozens of miles.

Despite rumors on social media, Vault Boy wasn’t using the rule of thumb to gauge a nuclear threat.

Part of the alleged nuclear application of this rule traces back to a 2013 Reddit comment. The comment author implied that Vault Boy, the mascot for the popular Fallout video game series, was giving the thumbs-up gesture to check the size of a mushroom cloud. However, producer Brian Fargo quashed these rumors in a Twitter post, explaining that Vault Boy isn’t using the thumbs-up test — he “simply has a positive attitude.”

Although the rule of thumb is not relevant to nuclear blasts, it can help you gauge your distance from more conventional HAZMAT threats. To maximize its effectiveness, use it in tandem with another memorable HAZMAT rule, the three U’s:

  • Upwind
  • Upstream
  • Uphill

If you can cover your view of an incident with your thumb, and wind, water, and gravity aren’t carrying contaminants towards you, it’s probably safe enough to take a moment to consider what to do next. In any other case, it might be wise to start moving away ASAP.

Clean Up Your Act: Maintaining Hygiene Off the Grid

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If you’ve ever watched Naked and Afraid on the Discovery Channel, you’ve wondered about the hygiene on the show. Twenty-one days is a long time without a shower and soap. Obviously, they generally do fine, and it seems as if hygiene is downplayed on the show. It always gets me thinking, though. What kinds of issues would arise in that type of survival situation? How would I mitigate the atrocity of no soap?

First, let me start by saying that not having soap in that three-week period might not be as bad as you might guess. As long as you had water to clean with, you might be fine. In using your hands to scrub all of those 2,000 body parts, you remove debris and dead skin. This may keep the pores from clogging up to a certain degree and prevent inflammation in the pores of your skin. Some of these pores can have pustules and look infected, but usually don’t progress in that direction.

Nature’s Soap

Making soap in a survival situation is possible, but time-consuming.

Some of you might be thinking about making soap from hardwood ash and animal fat. The ash wouldn’t be that difficult, and the animal fat would take luck and skill to acquire. But say you’re adept and lucky. It can take some time to make bar soap — time that you might not be afforded in a survival situation. You could, however, mix the fat and ash in a pan that you cooked the animal in. It’d be great for washing the pan; however, the basic (pH) nature of lye from the ash might be irritating to someone with sensitive skin. It’d feel like a bad sunburn or worse. [See RECOIL
OFFGRID Issue 30 about making soap from scratch.]

Buffaloberries are a natural source of saponins. Source: Lazarus000 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

For a field-expedient solution, it’s possible to crush the berries or roots of certain plants that contain natural compounds called saponins — soapberry (aka buffaloberry), soapwort, yucca, and creosote, to name a few. Upon mixing with water, these substances produce a frothy lather that was used historically as soap or shampoo. For more information, refer to our article on this topic.

Areas of Concern

Because most of the smelly parts on our body are also the most sensitive areas, and safely producing soap in the field may not always be viable, you’d be better off just using water on your body. You’ll notice on Naked and Afraid that the participants are almost always given an opportunity to find water. It may not always smell the best, but it’s available to make potable. I’m sure that a secondary reason is for bathing. You’ll also notice that the contestants don’t have rolls of fat like many of those in our citizenry. One of the problems with obesity is that the overlapping intertriginous areas are moist, hot, and rub against each other. These places, such as under the breasts, under belly fat, between the buttocks, and in the groin are common areas that are affected by poor hygiene and heat, and a foul smell can emanate from these areas. If left untreated, these areas can sometimes open up to create small wounds that may become infected by bacteria.

To treat these moist areas, air is probably the best weapon. Lying down and allowing the breeze to blow across those hard-to-reach areas will assist with keeping them dry and enable the areas to heal better.

Corn starch can assist in keeping certain areas dry that may be prone to fungal buildup.

If you happen to be near a corn field, you could grind corn into flour and apply it to the areas. Again, this takes time and effort, probably more effort than is worth the time. And while corn flour isn’t exactly the same as corn starch, it may be good enough to keep the affected areas drier. We usually recommend corn starch in our convenient environment if zinc oxide products aren’t available. Apply this twice a day and wash, then dry, each time before application.

Another issue is that these warm, moist areas are ideal places for yeast to grow. This is what contributes to the funky smell that emanates from these intertriginous areas. Besides the smell, there may be redness, itching, peeling or cracked skin, and perhaps even small blisters. Although this isn’t life-threatening, it’s uncomfortable and you could also be susceptible to secondary infection when the skin breaks down. Hopefully your diet has been high in garlic to help boost your immune system. If you happen to find some wild garlic, you could either eat it or make a paste and apply it to the affected area. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off. You could do this twice a day.

If you had a stockpile of apple cider vinegar, you could pour half a cup into a bathtub full of water, and soak. You could also try an apple cider vinegar compress by soaking a natural fiber cloth in the apple cider vinegar, then placing it on the affected areas for 15 minutes at a time. Do this twice a day until the area is healed. If there’s infection in a wound, this is also a good remedy.

Oral Health

Apple cider vinegar can also be used to make toothpaste. Use a ½ tablespoon of the vinegar with 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and add water to make a paste. Dental hygiene is often overlooked, but is super important to maintain healthy gums. Once the gums deteriorate, infection can settle in. The gums can be painful, red, swollen, and may even bleed. The teeth can also become painful due to infection, making it difficult to eat and makes a person pretty miserable. If there are no ingredients to make toothpaste, take a small branch from a pine tree (about the size of a pencil) and fray the ends. This can serve as a makeshift toothbrush. [Refer to “Off-the-Grid Dentistry” in Issue 27 for more information on dealing with dental problems when medical help will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.]

Female Hygiene

Ladies, urinary tract infections are also something that can bring misery in a survival situation. Symptoms of a urinary tract infection can include urinary frequency, burning with urination, incontinence, and fever. With poor hygiene, and with poor hydration, this can be a real possibility. Without the benefit of toiletries, you’ll need to search for nature’s bidet, like a babbling brook. Anything that you can do to wash away the particulate matter will help minimize chances of infection. Finding edibles to help your immune system (e.g. garlic, spinach, citrus fruits) can help in general. Edibles that can act as natural antibiotics (e.g. honey and Echinacea) may help, but shouldn’t replace your stockpiled antibiotics. And be sure to stay hydrated.

Menstruation is another potentially troublesome issue in an austere setting. This was somewhat of a challenge for the military after Sept. 11, as the number of women in combat had increased. The idea was to suppress menstruation rather than accommodate hygienic practices that’d interfere with combat roles. There are options for menstrual suppression; however, these will require advanced planning. Your doctor can discuss a hormonal rod implant that provides contraception for around three years. An intrauterine device (IUD) can also be placed by a physician and stay in place up to five years.

Menstrual cups can be another method to assist that time of the month in austere conditions.

For shorter term options, an intramuscular injection of hormone every 90 days is available. The end goal for these types of options is to stop menstruation from occurring. If that isn’t an option for you, menstrual cups are available. Check out Eryn Chase’s article in Issue 21 of RECOIL OFFGRID for an excellent discussion on wilderness hygiene. Edibles that contain progesterone include soy, broccoli, kale, cabbage, and ginkgo, to name a few, but the reality is that even though these contain very small amounts of the hormone, it’s not likely it’ll be strong enough to affect the menstrual cycle.

Above: Ginkgo biloba tablets and certain vegetables contain progesterone, which can aid in managing menstruation during situations where conventional methods are unattainable.

Conclusion

Hygiene in a survival setting may not seem like a priority early in the chaos and is often ignored due to other pressing issues in the dire environment (i.e. water, fire, shelter, food, and safety). Keep in mind that taking a few minutes to wash up and brush your teeth in those early days can prevent misery as the event draws out into weeks. Women will have extra issues to contend with, and planning may be the best remedy. The old adage of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies here. Take some time to take care of your hygiene before minor problems become more of a pressing need.

About the Author

David L. Miller, DO, FACOI is an internist in private practice for 20 years. His experiences away from the office have included time as a fight doctor in regional MMA events and as a team physician for 10 years at a mid-major university in the Midwest. Currently, he serves as the lead medical instructor for the Civilian Crisis Response team based out of Indianapolis.

Video: Pawpaw, The Fruit that Saved Lewis and Clark

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It’s easy to study history and think of the larger-than-life individuals recorded in books as fictional characters, rather than real people. After all, it’s difficult to imagine having a face-to-face chat with George Washington or Christopher Columbus. But the beauty of history is that these people were not so different from you and I, with regular concerns and problems. As survivalists, it’s valuable for us to study historical pioneers, explorers, and wilderness adventurers — there’s much we can learn from their experiences, even today. Lewis and Clark are one especially relevant example.

Between 1804 and 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark journeyed from Pittsburgh to the Oregon coast and back home. On this 28-month expedition, they encountered many problems, but lack of food was one of the most frequent. Even after completing their objective of reaching the Pacific Ocean, they ran out of provisions on the trip home in September 1806. Attempts at hunting proved unsuccessful. Fortunately, they were saved by a fruit native to the midwest — the pawpaw.

A map of the pawpaw’s range. (Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture / Wikimedia Commons)

Also known as custard apple or “Indiana banana” as a result of their soft, sweet flesh, the pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to the United States. Asimina triloba is plentiful from eastern Texas through southern Pennsylvania. The fruits are edible raw in early fall, and their flavor is often compared to banana, mango, and pineapple. In the video below from the Townsends YouTube channel, Jon explains how the pawpaw helped Lewis and Clark survive, and discusses the flavor of the fruit after tasting one.

More Hotel Security Q&A

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In RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 34, on sale October 29th, we interview two travel experts regarding important considerations for hotel security. Whether you’re traveling internationally for business or domestically to visit family, trips require a different approach to security than you might rely on while at home. However, by taking a few simple precautions and heightening your awareness, you’ll be able to maintain your safety, security, and privacy wherever you go.

William Echo (a pseudonym necessary for his current career) is a corporate security professional and former law enforcement officer with more than a decade of experience in developing, implementing, and testing protective security protocols. Opposite him is Micah Dalton, a true modern-day nomad who has spent the better part of the last decade roaming the planet in search of good whiskey and great adventure. Along the way, he has made himself a perpetual student of street lessons, and trained with some very specialized experts, including OFFGRID contributor Ed Calderon. While he doesn’t have any “uniformed” career experience, the sheer volume of his practical street wisdom is nearly unmatched, even among our own cadre.

Due to limited page real-estate, we weren’t able to fit everything we discussed with William and Micah in the print article. So, we’ve published a few additional questions from our interview exclusively here on OFFGRIDweb. Read on for some hotel security and travel safety tips, and keep an eye out for more advice in The “Baits” Hotel in Issue 34, available later this month.

Compared to staying at a hotel, what are the security pros and cons of AirBnB?

William Echo: Cost may be a pro sometimes, and having a full-fledged residence — a full kitchen with utensils, multiple bathrooms, and so on. With that being said, there are no standards for how clean the place is kept (franchise compliance/quality assurance, health department, etc.) and you won’t know if it’s up to your standards until you get there. Most people don’t have a backup plan. Another advantage is that, if hotels in the area are all booked up, AirBnB may be a good option.

Now for the negatives. You have to assume that at least two or three sets of keys (at minimum) are floating around that have 24/7 access to where you’re staying. Alarm system? The owners have the master code, even if they gave you a personalized one during your stay.

Internet? Wired or WiFi? Is it secure? Even if it’s password-protected, is the router (or another device in the home) monitoring and/or hijacking your traffic? The passwords to your bank account? Your work email password? Your Amazon account? Better have a damn good VPN with a full tunnel.

CCTV? If so, do you know where all the cameras are? Sure, you noticed a Ring doorbell on the front porch and maybe a camera on the driveway, but what about the bedrooms? The bathroom? The walk-in closet you changed clothes in? The owners have had time to set things like this up. Can the same thing happen in a hotel? Sure, but it’s more difficult to set up, more likely to get caught, and there are far less places to hide cameras.

Did anyone do a background check on the owners? The majority of hotel staff have a background check conducted prior to hiring. No one hired the owners of the house you’ll be staying at. Are you comfortable with that, especially with everything listed above? I know I’m not. It has happened before and it will happen again. In my opinion, there’s too much risk for AirBnB.

Micah Dalton: My personal favorite aspect of staying in an AirBnB is the gray man factor. Walking out of a hotel onto a city street, you can clearly be seen as a traveler, tourist, or outsider. This immediately makes you an easier target in any environment. But if you’re staying in someone’s house or apartment, it’s much easier to seamlessly blend into the local environment. If keeping a low profile is a priority, AirBnB is a great way to go.

Another great thing is the price point, especially for big or expensive cities. A lot of times it’s cheaper to stay in an inexpensive hotel you found on Hotwire or Agoda. But do your research, because depending on the place, sometimes an AirBnB can be a much better deal. You often get more space than a hotel room for a lower price.

Depending on what type of traveler you are, using your AirBnB host as a resource can be a huge advantage. They are locals, they live there, and know all the best and worst places. Make a connection with them, and they will usually be more than willing to share insider knowledge about their city.

An obvious downside to staying in a house, is that it’s not a hotel. You’re staying in someone else’s home and they usually have a small set of house rules. You have a little more responsibility for the place you’re staying in versus a hotel, but as long as you’re respectful it usually isn’t an issue.

The biggest issue with AirBnB, however, is the safety aspect. You don’t know this person, they may or may not be present during your stay, and you’re on their turf. This goes back to checking reviews. I usually won’t stay in an AirBnB that is brand new or has only a couple mediocre reviews. You don’t want to put yourself in a bad situation, so weigh the pros and cons and listen to your gut.

What can you do to keep your vehicle and its contents safe during your stay?

Photo: Flickr.com/marufish

WE: Park in a lit section of the parking lot close to the main entry doors, if possible. If there are cameras you can see, then park accordingly. If you follow my advice on where to park (near your nearest stairwell) then this response can be confusing. Ultimately, it comes down to weighing the calculated risk for each scenario. If the risk for parking near a stairwell is equal to that of parking near the main entrance, go with the stairwell entrance. More capability, less visibility of outsiders.

Make sure all valuables — including your Oakley sunglasses, work ID cards, loose change, or even your morning breakfast bar — should be stowed out of sight. If you have a rental car that places placards and visible ads on the license frames or windows, make sure to hide those also. Rental cars can mean business travelers, and business travelers mean laptops and money. If you leave a suitcase or bag in an obvious rental car, hiding them from view won’t do much good. You’ve simply just provided an easier transportation method for your adversary. There are no guarantees, but removing temptation and increasing the likelihood of being detected can deter many adversaries. Combine this with the fact that many others won’t be as diligent, and you become the hard target, causing the adversary to find another victim.

MD: A good rule to always follow, no matter where you are, is to make sure there is nothing visible inside your car. If you have a trunk or locking glovebox that isn’t open to the rest of the car, use it. Don’t leave a backpack or duffel bag in the backseat where anyone can see it. If you have valuables that you are planning to leave in your car, move them to your trunk ahead of time. You don’t want anyone who may be watching to see every one of your valuables being moved into the trunk — if they see something they like, they now know where to get it.

Another thing to remember is to park your car where it will be within your sight line. Try to get a room facing the hotel parking lot, and park within view of your window. If you can’t, parking anywhere upfront near an entrance and in a high-traffic area will deter thieves. At night, park under a lamppost or somewhere well-lit. If they know they can be seen, they may be less inclined to even bother.

We’ve heard about hidden cameras found in hotels, such as the recent incident in South Korea where live-streamed footage of 1,600 hotel guests was sold online. What are some ways to scan or manually search for hidden audio or video recording devices?

WE: Most of these devices are on WiFi. A WLAN scanning application can be very helpful to find suspicious network devices — I use FING for iPhone. Check in A/C vents and any area of the apartment/condo that’s elevated, like a shelf above the kitchen cabinets. Use your EDC flashlight to scan around the room and look for a lens reflection. I’ve used these methods for years and still do.

Check the specs on your cellphone cameras (front and rear) and see if they filter infrared light. Many spy cams utilize IR light to see in the dark — if your camera doesn’t filter that light spectrum, you can use this method to detect hidden cameras. If you’re unsure if your camera will detect IR, just point your TV remote at the camera in a dark room and press a button. If you see the LED light up when you press a button, your camera doesn’t filter IR and you’ll be better equipped to detect hidden cameras.

MD: In terms of room safety, look for cameras with a laser detector or a flashlight as previously mentioned. A lot of hotels now have smart TVs which are super easy to hack, so cover the camera with tape. Also check out clocks and smoke detectors in your room to make sure they don’t look odd or out of place.

What can you do to keep your internet and phone communications secure?

WE: All phone calls should be executed via cellular. Only use WiFi calling if you have a fully encrypted VPN tunnel. Only use the courtesy phone to contact hotel services, or as a last resort for local calls. Internet communications — either wired or wireless — should be conducted over a Full-Tunnel VPN. Use Apple Pay or a similar secure application whenever possible. In the event that you have to swipe your credit or debit card, make sure to give the card reader a good pull and wiggle to check for skimming devices. Also, never use a straight USB charger on an unfamiliar port. Either carry a USB power bank, your USB-to-wall-outlet adapter, or a charging cable “condom” for your device. The condom will allow you to plug your charging cable directly into a wall, alarm clock, or desk lamp USB socket and have power pass through to charge the device, but all data transfer will be disabled.

A few examples of USB condoms, which attach between your device and a public port.

MD: It doesn’t matter whether you’re a first-time traveler or a veteran digital nomad — your devices and data are most vulnerable when you travel. Here are a couple things that I have learned after years of travel.

If you aren’t using a USB Condom, stop reading this article and go to Amazon and buy two. Don’t worry I’ll wait. It’s that important for a traveler, or anyone charging their phone in public. USB doesn’t just transmit power, it sends data as well. Remember that’s how you update your phone or transfer photos.

Of course a regular USB charging port isn’t designed to access your phone’s data. But there’s nothing stopping one from trying after you plug in a USB cable. A compromised charging port could access all the data on your phone or download a digital STD that could infect anything else you connect to. Bad news bears.

In the age of social media, it blows me away when people travel and tag exactly where and when they are at a location. Stop it. As a rule of thumb, always upload and post after you have left the location — or better yet, the next day. You don’t know who’s following you online or in real life.

Buy the data package for your phone and use that. Stay off WiFi in public places and in your hotel room. If you decide to use it, never make transactions or disclose sensitive data. Do you know what a WiFi Pineapple is? You should. This $99 portable device allows any amateur hacker to create a spoofed network that steals passwords and other information from anyone who connects.

Use a virtual private network (VPN) service at all times.

Video: Eating Whip Scorpions as a Survival Food

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In a wilderness survival situation, finding food is a never-ending task. In some cases, you may be able to rely on fishing or trapping to stave off starvation. In others, you may have to turn to less appealing food sources. Fish, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and other conventional game animals have a prey mindset, so they’re alert and cautious of their surroundings. Their primary defense mechanism is to escape quickly. However, animals that rely on alternate defense mechanisms tend to be less evasive, and therefore easier to catch. Whip scorpions fall into this latter category — they’re slow-moving and edible, as long as you can stomach them.

Whip scorpion illustration via The Royal Natural History / Wikimedia Commons

Whip scorpions, also known as vinegaroons or uropygids, aren’t what you think of when you picture a scorpion. Like true scorpions, they’re arachnids, but they lack a venomous stinger. Instead, they have a whiplike tail and defend themselves by discharging a smelly liquid that contains acetic acid (the same chemical compound present in vinegar). Because most animals are deterred by this smell, whip scorpions are less concerned with running and hiding from predators. Unfortunately for them, humans aren’t like most predators.

In the video below, survival instructor Bob Hansler cooks and eats whip scorpions he caught near his home in Texas. After his first bite of head and claws, he describes the taste as “bacony, woody” and likens it to “the shellfish of the desert.” It looks gross, but that’s mostly a mind-over-matter problem. The second bite includes the acetic acid gland in the abdomen, and we definitely shuddered on his behalf.

Survival food isn’t always pretty or appetizing, and this example is neither. But, as Hansler correctly explains, every type of food that you know about is going to increase your odds of survival. It also prompts an important question — how far would you go to find calories in a survival setting? No matter the answer, we wouldn’t blame anyone for putting whip scorpions near the bottom of their snack list.

Book Review: “Lights Out” by Ted Koppel

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The Premise: The notion that the American power grid system is vulnerable to a cyberattack or an electromagnetic pulse device, launched by terrorists or a foreign nation, is a frightening premise. In Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath, Ted Koppel, one of the nation’s most experienced and well-known journalists, outlines the realities of an attack on the American power grid, the vulnerabilities plaguing the defense systems which protect it, and the preparations that Americans can take now to prepare for an unthinkable grid-down scenario.

The 411: Koppel uses his proven skills in journalism to thoroughly explore not only the vulnerability of an aging power grid system, but also the politics that envelop hardening the system itself. The first few chapters offer an in-depth analysis of how the American power grid functions and the vulnerabilities attached to it. It can be technically difficult to follow at times, however, Koppel paints a compelling picture through several interviews with leading security experts on the potential impact that an attack on the nation’s power grid could have on everyday living. The remainder of the book explores individuals who have either developed contingency plans for long-term power outages, or currently live entirely off the grid. The book warns that our worst fears are grounded in plausibility, and that the failure to acknowledge the threat could be our biggest concern of all.

The Verdict: If a nationwide blackout occurred, it’s easy to imagine it could last for weeks to months. For those without prior preparations, tens of millions of Americans would face the loss of running water, sewage, refrigeration, and light. Communities would live an existence devoid of creature comforts, and many might acquiesce to rudimentary forms of survival, such as looting. Koppel paints a vivid picture of this scenario and lays out a technical but comprehensible map on how it could actually occur. Lights Out is both an acknowledgement of the power grid’s vulnerability, as well as a call to action to for the government and its citizens. While the federal government may be underprepared to aid citizens in a grid-down scenario, Koppel traverses the nation to find those who have exemplified personal preparedness measures for a myriad of disaster scenarios, including the decimation of the national power grid.

While the first several chapters of the book involve a large amount of technical jargon, they paint the picture that our nation is vulnerable to a large-scale cyber or electromagnetic pulse attack. It’s here that Koppel’s journalistic instincts shine as he interviews the nation’s top security experts and explores our level of readiness, both nationally and individually. The end result is a thesis that’s both sobering and hopeful, warning us that our worst fears may be grounded in reality and enlightening us at the same time. Ted Koppel hopes to provoke readers to prepare for a catastrophe that could potentially destroy modern civilization and succeeds in doing so.

The question of whether our nation can withstand the potential destruction of a cyberterrorist attack on its power grid, be it through rogue organizations or by state sponsorship, is an important one. Ted Koppel effectively delivers a book that raises more questions than it answers, but poses the kind of questions that elicit true discussion amongst our national security advisors as well as average families. Lights Out is alarming, but rife in purpose and relevance to all who read it, making a significant contribution to the mindset of any prepared individual.

Book & Author
Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath
by Ted Koppel

Publisher
Broadway Books

MSRP
$16

URL
tedkoppellightsout.com

Pages
288

Rating
>Thrive
Survive
Die

OFFGRID Library of Recommended Books

New: THYRM DarkVault Gear Cases

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Under normal circumstances, pockets are great for carrying small items like your keys, phone, cards, and cash. However, there are times when pockets are definitely not the optimal place to store these valuables. If you’re running, jumping, climbing, wading, or generally getting knocked around in a high-activity outdoor setting, the contents of your pockets are likely to get lost, soaked, or pulverized. THYRM recently relased a new product designed to protect your EDC items while keeping them close at hand — the THYRM DarkVault.

The DarkVault is available in OD green, FDE, rescue orange, and black.

At first glance, you’ll notice the DarkVault is a gasket-sealed, hard-sided polymer clamshell case — that isn’t exactly a new concept. We’ve used similar cases to stash small electronics and first aid gear in packs in the past. Measuring 7.2 by 5.4 by 1.7 inches, it fits most cell phones, including larger “phablets” such as the Galaxy Note 10 and iPhone XS Max.

However, there are some interesting features that set the DarkVault apart from traditional gear cases. First among these is the quick-detach MOLLE-compatible mount. This bracket attaches to webbing on backpacks, chest rigs, plate carriers, and other gear. When mounted vertically, such as on the front of a plate carrier, it serves as a fold-down tray table for your phone or GPS unit. Adjustable hinge friction prevents the lid from flopping open and dumping your gear on the ground.

Speaking of electronics, the standard DarkVault features 90+ dB of signal reduction between 300 and 1500 mHz. This blocks common signals from cell towers, Bluetooth, GPS, and many handheld radio frequencies, and offers the ability to take your devices off the grid temporarily. Alternatively, if you want to protect your electronics without losing connectivity, THYRM offers the DarkVault-Comms — the same case without signal-blocking.

The THYRM DarkVault also features holes for straps, latches, or locks to prevent tampering. Internal and external Velcro panels are included to prevent gear from sliding around, or to attach your favorite morale patches. The signal-blocking DarkVault retails for $90; the non-blocking DarkVault Comms retails for $60. For more information, go to THYRM.com.

Still Relevant? 31 Days of Online Security Tips

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We’ve written a few articles recently about cybersecurity because we feel this area is often neglected by otherwise security-conscious individuals. Even if you’re not a tech expert who spends most of the day working with computers, the internet has become an inseparable part of our daily lives, and a violation of your online security can be just as serious as a home burglary. In some ways, it might even be more serious, since the signs of a digital break-in may be much less obvious than a smashed window or kicked-in door. Someone halfway across the world could be rifling through your financial records or other personal data, and you might not know it’s happening.

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Fortunately, it’s not very difficult to improve your online security. There are many basic steps you can take to build layers of protection around your online presence, so even if one layer is breached, you’ll still be able to recover. Two-factor authentication and account activity alerts are great examples of these layers — they may be as easy to set up as clicking a check box in your account settings.

The following infographic from Delta Risk offers 31 days of simple online security tips that can increase your protection against cybercrimes. Although you could easily do all these things in one day, this format breaks the process down into chunks that should only take a few minutes. Don’t forget to reinforce all these points with every member of your family, since the cybersecurity chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Click here to download the full-size graphic.

Home Defense with an Offensive Mindset

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We’ve all considered the uncomfortable scenario where something goes bump in the night — maybe it was your dog knocking something off a table, one of your kids sneaking out, or an armed home intruder looking to victimize your family. Whatever the case may be, you’ll be faced with two options. Option A is to assume there’s a threat, barricade yourself in your bedroom, and call for help. Option B is to actively clear the house to ensure there’s no threat, or find and eliminate the threat before it finds you. In the latest RECOILtv Training Tune Ups video, Dan Brokos discusses the latter option — applying an offensive mindset to home defense.

If you want to clear your house safely, you shouldn’t be stumbling haphazardly into rooms and spinning around. You should be methodically checking corners before moving into each room. There are a few ways to accomplish this, as Brokos explains. First is the Deliberate Pie method, which slowly “slices the pie” while moving around a doorway to slowly check all angles. Second is what Brokos calls Eating the Door, a method that’s faster and more dynamic but relies on the same corner-center-corner progression.

As the saying goes, there are times when the best defense is a good offense. If you think someone just broke into your home and poses an imminent threat to your family, there may be no time to wait for law enforcement to arrive. In that case, clearing rooms quickly and methodically can help you stay safe as you ensure your home is clear.