Hi from Jodi and Julie
You may have been hearing a lot about cyber attacks and grid shut downs lately. While it's always been a concern for people that are preparedness-minded, it's only recently begun to receive awareness in the general public. This is in large part due to Ted Koppel, former news anchor of Nightline, and his extensive research on the topic. Ted has spent several years
speaking to experts inside the government, in the medical field, and in the preparedness world to really figure out how viable of a threat this is and how prepared we are as a nation and as individuals. The results may startle you! He documents his findings in his popular new book " Lights
Out".
Here is a little video showing some of Ted's thoughts on the topic, and then we will share some tips on how you can prepare specifically for different types of cyber attacks. Keep scrolling and you can see details about how we had the opportunity to MEET Ted Koppel last week!
7 Ways to Prepare for a Cyber Attack |
- Create/Update Your Family Communication Plan
If internet and phone services get cut off, it may be very difficult to communicate with loved ones and get everyone gathered to a central location. It is a smart idea to develop a family plan to let each family member know what to do in various situations (wait at school or head home, etc.) Sometimes phones will be available but specify in the plan what to do if they aren't.
- Keep Emergency Cash on Hand
ATM machines may go down, or
your entire bank may be hit, causing the loss of all of your banking data and/or your ability to access your money. Keep as much cash as you feel comfortable storing in your home in a secure safe or hidden location.
- Put Together an Emergency Binder
Identity loss/theft is one of the biggest concerns in a cyber attack situation. If you have your birth certificates and other important documents kept together in a safe place it will be much
easier to start the process of rebuilding, filing claims, etc. once things settle back down. You may also want to consider some sort of identify theft protection. We recommend keeping it all in an emergency binder and placing it in a
fireproof/waterproof safe.
- Prepare for an Extended Power Outage
In a major power grid shut down situation it is likely that a large portion of the country will be without power for several weeks or longer. Make sure you have supplies on hand to deal with that. Areas to consider are lighting, heating, cooling, sanitation, powering devices, etc.
- Store Water and Water Purification Tools
Water treatment plants may be specifically targeted in a cyber attack or may be compromised in a more general power grid attack. Keep A LOT of water on hand in storage containers of varying sizes, as much as you have room for. But also store several good methods of purifying your water. Pipes may still run or you may have to collect water, but you will need to make sure it is safe to drink either way.
- Have a Large Supply of Food and Cooking Tools
Transportation will likely be affected in a cyber attack causing a shortage of food at stores, if you even have enough
cash on hand to buy any food. FEMA recommends having at least a 2 week supply of food in your home. We recommend at least three months and then move on towards your year supply as space and budget permits. Don't forget to store tools for cooking your foods and fuel as well.
- Keep Car Gas Tanks Full and Store Extra Gas
Gas pumps will probably stop working and/or you may not have cash to buy needed gas. Try to never let your gas tanks go below
half-full and store several cans of gasoline at your home (as permitted by local laws). It may be beneficial for you to be able to leave your home and travel a distance and you don't want gas to be the reason why you can't go.
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"Lights Out" Group Book Read |
Five years ago we did a group book read on the book One Second After where we all read it at the same time and then discussed different topics covered in the book as a group. It was an incredible learning experience for everyone who joined in. We want to do the same thing with Lights
Out.
Join us in reading this fascinating book during the month of November and we will discuss together on the blog in early December.
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"Lights Out" Evening with Ted Koppel |
We had the incredible opportunity to attend an event with Ted Koppel last week. He was speaking to a group of people here in Utah and we were asked to provide refreshments with a food storage twist. We teamed up with Chef Todd from Thrive Life and were able to serve a gourmet spread and help all the guests see that food storage doesn't have to be scary and can actually be GOOD.
It was really neat to have the chance to speak with Ted about his book and share our love of food storage a little bit with him
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