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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

How To Be Invisible in Any Environment


 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 


TACOP: How To Be Invisible in Any Environment

One of the first lessons I learned in covert operations was to be a chameleon, to blend into any environment. To do this like a pro, there are four critical criteria that you must address, and they are: personal awareness, cultural awareness, situational awareness and third-party awareness.

Let me tell you about one of the first lessons I learned, call it “Close Call Bravo.” I was attempting a “legal” entry into a Third World playground when I was stopped by customs. I had all my ducks in order, nothing out of the ordinary in my suitcase, just the basic necessities, some clothing and toiletries.

I was wearing a pair of torn jeans, older high-top sneakers and a well-worn jean jacket. I had just seen the last several people breeze through the customs checkpoint without so much as a question … then came my turn.

I causally sauntered up to the customs officer, and he immediately looked at me differently. Studying me for several seconds from head to toe, he finally broke his silence and told me to put my bags on the table for inspection.

I set the bags on the table, at which point the agent opened one bag at a time and literally took everything out randomly.

As my belongings lay strewn across two tables, he asked me what I was doing in “his” country. I replied quickly, “Sir I am visiting some family members.” He said, “So you would classify your visit as ‘personal’ ” ? I said, “Yes.”

Without even a pause he said, “I think you’re going to be very hot here, please remove your jacket.”

For those of you who don’t know this, let me tell you something about these Third World customs officers. They may sometimes come off as jolly and friendly people, sometimes they play poor desperate government employees who cannot afford to eat or send their kids to college. But beware!

These folks are drawn from an intelligence pool, and they can be quite adept analytically when it comes to spotting lies and deception, especially by studying behavior and body language.

It is essential to understand that “presentation” upon arriving at customs is an important key point. Presentation here meaning how you dress, carry yourself, demeanor and body language.

Customs officers are trained to look for certain distinctive signs, like calluses on your elbows and knees, bruising, tattoos and other features that set you apart from what they deem “normal for their environment.

For the non-warrior’s among you, you are probably wondering why they would be looking for things like calluses and tattoos?

And the answer is this: Other than on the rare professional athlete they may see, calluses on your knees and elbows could indicate that you have been crawling around on the ground a lot. And that could indicate to them that you are either a) potential terrorist or other bad-guy type or b) a soldier or a mercenary, such as myself.

As for why they look for tattoos? They could reveal that you belong to a particular gang, triad or syndicate.

So let’s get back to the first of the four elements that help you become “invisible” or blend in with the surroundings and that is personal awareness.

In personal awareness, we want to develop a “look” that helps us blend into the local environment. This may take some research if you have not been to your destination previously. But primarily, you will want to dress as the locals do. And you want to conceal tattoos as well as avoid piercings and jewelry that could set you apart – in this case not something you want to do!

 


Following that same thinking, you need to make sure your mannerisms and actions also fit with local customs. For example, the sign for “OK” can be expressed in many ways across different countries and cultures.

In America, many of us have used the traditional “thumbs-up” method of signaling to others that things are “OK.” That cultural tradition has taken on a more global significance as the symbol when you “like” someone or something on a Facebook page. However, a rapid thumbs-up has a very negative connotation in places like Greece, the Middle East or even Australia.

The second element we have to address to become invisible is cultural awareness. In its simplest terms, cultural awareness is the ability to recognize the different values, customs and beliefs within an environment and to then be “sensitive” to them.

For example, if you are in Japan and you are an American on a business mission there, do you bow to your Japanese counterparts or shake hands? The answer is usually to shake hands because while bowing may seem appropriate, you will not likely know the correct ritual and this could either offend or more likely be very awkward for them.

Here is a quick checklist of culturally sensitive areas to watch for:

Language Barriers: (verbal and non-verbal.)

Communication and methods of communication: Communication can be challenging within your own culture at times and given the different cultural contexts possible, you must recognize differences and address them for clarity and so as not to offend.

Cultural Identification: Make sure you identify the person’s culture so as not to offend them.

Beliefs: Identify religious and or spiritual beliefs.

Food: Identify what foods are eaten in that region and make note if you are allergic.

Comprehension: Bear in mind that just because someone in another part of the world “nods” in an affirmative way, it does not necessarily mean they understand what you meant or the point you were attempting to get across to them.

Self-Monitor Bias: You may not like a certain way of dress or food item, but be sure you do not express those feelings in verbalization or body language.

Physical Contact: Identify proper physical contact and mannerisms. Consider that when one greets someone within the United States we may shake hands. Or if you meet a person you have known for a period of time and they are of the opposite sex, you might feel a kiss on the cheek and a hug would be appropriate. However, if you are doing business in Paris, a quick kiss on each cheek is acceptable.

The third element is Situational Awareness. Your role here is to get a good baseline on your area of operations (AO) so that you can discern what is normal for that particular region or locale.

In this manner, you will be able to recognize any change in status to alert you something is not right. The key takeaway for you here is that you must keep your head on a swivel but do so casually and without drawing attention to yourself so that you can quickly recognize danger and avert potential critical incidents or conflict.

The final element in becoming “invisible” is third-party awareness. This could also be called “hostile-party awareness” because the concept here is to maintain alertness to anyone that may be “watching” you.

And that means for any reason. So whether you are operating either stateside or at your host country or destination, always stay alert to hostile surveillance.

Remember you are trying to blend into the environment but as you do so keep an eye out for those that have an eye on you.

To accomplish this, you must understand some tradecraft basics. And the first principle is: Listen to your gut instincts. If you see someone at your local coffee shop and then you see that same person on the other side of town at another time in that same day, that should set off some alarm bells.

“It is demeanor that is critical in identifying the intent of the person or group that is watching you”

In the world of hostile surveillance detection, one of the most critical ways in which we “identify” people watching us lies within certain characteristics or demeanors they exhibit as they are watching. Think of demeanor as behavior.

The behavior a person exhibits while carrying out surveillance on a target is what makes the “surveillant” vulnerable to your detection.

Your job is to proactively and in a low-key fashion observe individuals within your environment as you move about your activities and look for things that you find a bit suspicious.

This could be a car that seems to be following you after you have made several turns or a person who stops to tie shoelaces as you stop to window shop.

It could also be that car that is terminally parked on your block or in front of your hotel each day.

From my experience in covert surveillance I can tell you that professionals will never look directly at you. And they may change their hats, glasses and other clothing, even vehicles. But one thing they rarely change is their shoewear! Start now and acclimate your awareness skills to include scanning feet!

As for my close call with customs, well I’m here to tell the tale aren’t I?

Until next time, stay alert, check your six, put your back against the wall and stay safe!

Jeff

Dr. Jeff Cantor is one of the country’s leading experts on personal and International security, including preparation and response to active shooter and domestic terrorism incidents, kidnap and ransom response, travel security, close quarter combat, tactical edged weapons and personal defense.


 


Yours for better living,

Bruce , the Poor Man

A Final Note…

You Have a 16-Cylinder Brain-Learn How to Use It and Reawaken the Genius Inside You!

 



 
Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.




Additional Resources

The Anatomy of a Breakdown

The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster

Prepper’s Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary

Contact! A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival


 


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A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production

 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Nothing is Scarier than an Electromagnetic Pulse Attack-DIY Protection


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 


The EMP Risk & DIY Protection-Nothing is Scarier than an Electromagnetic Pulse

Just a few weeks ago a Sherriff’s office in Maricopa, AZ, confirmed, “Due to a cyber-attack, our 911 dispatch center received hundreds of hang up calls within minutes today. The volume of calls put the responders and authorities in immediate danger of losing service to their switches.”

 

Police said the hack affected services in the Phoenix metro area, parts of California and Texas.

 

The guy responsible was arrested on 3 counts of computer “tampering.”

 

2 of those counts are class 2 felonies as they involved critical infrastructure.

 

Who was the dangerous felon responsible for nearly taking out the 911 system in 3 huge states?

 

Was it a hacker from a major terrorist organization set on crippling our national grid?

 

No… not even close.

 

It was an 18-year old in his bedroom.

 

That’s right…

 

An 18-year old boy discovered an iOS vulnerability, and was able to cause mayhem in dispatch centers within minutes.

 

If someone barely out of school can cause so much damage, how hard do you think it would be for a terrorist to do it?

 

It’s time to face facts. A cyber-attack on a massive scale is imminent. It’s not a matter of IF but WHEN it happens.

 

And it doesn’t matter whether it’s ISIS, Russia, North Korea, or some random terrorist splinter group.

 

If the lights go out, our country will be in chaos instantly. 911 systems down. Traffic robots down. Financial systems destroyed. Cell phone networks gone. Electric non-existent.

 

There’s a natural phenomenon known as an “electromagnetic pulse” - or EMP.

The pulse could come a natural occurrence or be man-made. They’re essentially a burst of energy that fries electronic circuits within a blast radius.

If you’ve seen Ocean’s Eleven, one knocks out a casino’s power supply during a heist. 

Director of the EMP Task force, Peter Pry believes that in real life, however, EMPs are a potential threat to national security.

Most modern day appliances, the hand-held technologies that we use daily and even the power grid all have sensitive circuits built-in.

During a normal blackout, you don’t have any lights, heating, or internet.

But an EMP black-out is permanent and further reaching.

 

Even A Small-Scale EMP Attack Would Breeds Fear, Confusion & Stress


Think about everything we suddenly wouldn't have access to if an EMP on the power grid occurred and the power was out indefinitely.


  • Any money you have in the bank would be inaccessible indefinitely. ATMs, credit cards, debit cards... They'd all be useless.
  • The stock markets would shut down just like they did during Hurricane Katrina…and all of your investments would be tied up…without any way of getting them out.
  • And what happens to the food stamp system during an electric outage? Imagine 46.5 million American’s who need food stamp entitlements to eat who suddenly get cut off.
  • Your refrigerator would slowly lose it’s temperature and all of your food spoil.
  • Your cellphone would quickly run out of battery and become obsolete.

In a widespread blackout caused by an EMP, you’d be out of luck. Everything we take for granted would be turned on its head.


 

 


The Faraday Cage


In the simplest of terms, a Faraday cage is any shielded enclosure that surrounds your electronic devices and protects them an EMP blast.  Commonly used enclosures include galvanized metal garbage cans, popcorn tins, and even tightly sealed metal filing cabinets.  In all cases, the metal container is lined with insulating material to prevent the contents from having contact with the metal.  Examples of insulating material are cardboard, Styrofoam, and even carpet scraps.

More elaborate structures can be custom built from sheet metal but for the home user, why bother?  As a matter of fact, I suspect that wrapping your devices in plain, ordinary, aluminum foil will work as well.

Factoid: Faraday cages are named after English scientist Michael Faraday, who invented them in 1836.

What About Using a Microwave Oven?


In my research I read that a microwave oven, new or used,  can be used as an effective Faraday cage.  On the surface, that seems logical since, by design, a microwave oven keeps the energy it creates confined to the interior which likewise, should prevent strong electrical pulses from getting back inside.

This was easy enough to test. I put a cell phone inside my microwave oven and tried calling it. It rang. Oops.  On the other hand, I wrapped my cell phone in aluminum foil and called it.  Nothing. Nada. No Michael Buble ringtone; the call went straight to voicemail.

Granted, cell phones operate at various radio frequencies so while one cell phone may not work, another one will.  Still, with this being so easy to test, why chance it?

Testing the Faraday Cage


Aside from calling a cell phone, you can test your homemade Faraday cage by putting a portable radio inside the shield after tuning it to a strong FM station.  If you can hear the FM station while the radio is inside your Faraday cage, then you need to go back to square one to ensure your shield is properly sealed.

Sealing your garbage can with duct tape will help tremendously.

A Second (Expert) Opinion


I asked my friend George Ure to comment and to offer his perspective on Faraday cages since EMP preparedness is something he covered in-depth on his subscriber site, Peoplenomics ($40 a year but worth it for the technical information on the many topics he covers.).

He was quick to point out several things about EMPs.  The definitive public information is contained In the 2004 Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued a report “High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave (HPM) Devices: Threat Assessments”.  The following diagram shows how an EMP causes the complex systems we rely on to provide everyday essentials for living, to fail in a cascading manner.

So, a quick inspection of the EMP failure modes, George offers, is one way to build a list of items to put in your Faraday cage.

He also told me some personal research he’s done that seems to indicate that about 90% of cars will continue to operate after an EMP event of moderate size. The problem, he points out, is that with an EMP, the grid is likely to fail, and with that, power transformers will likely fail, along with the supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) control systems for railroads, power, water, and other utility distribution.

George’s personal Faraday cage is a 33 gallon garbage can.  He considers his metal garbage effective by itself because the metal lid overlaps the can itself by an inch and radio waves don’t like to go around corners, too well. Still, the ultimate prepping device would be a metal garbage can which has the top cover sealed to the bottom of the can with aluminized duct tape such as the type found at Amazon, Lowes, Home Depot and other hardware stores.

What to Put in the Faraday Cage


The equipment you store in a Faraday cage should encompass those devices that will help you communicate with the world following a devastating loss of the grid. Short-range communications will be critical. A good starting list would include:

Multiple GMRS radios and chargers along with cables to plug in for solar charging.

Multiple 2 meter and 440 MHz ham radios (such as the portable Baofengs), again with charging cables and solar power adapters.

A laptop computer with a fresh battery, a charger, solar adapter, and all the key software on CD so if you need to bring up a fresh copy of the operating system, you’ll have the product key and then any prepping articles or references you might need.

An AM/FM/Shortwave/NOAA Weather radio that includes a solar panel charging mechanism.

High-capacity USB thumb drive holding  pertinent financial information including past year tax records, scanned copies of birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, deeds, vehicle registrations and medical records.

George also recommends simple insulation for your electronics, so that units do not touch each other, He uses low tech insulation: a combination of cardboard and bubble-wrap works well.

Protecting Small Electronics Day to Day


This article would not be complete if I did not mention the availability of small, shielded metalized bags that can be used to provide EMP protection on a daily basis.  I am currently testing this type of bag from Mobilsec and an quite impressed.  While my phone is in the bag, it reads “no service”.

If a cell signal cannot be detected, I can only assume that an EMP would also not touch it.  Good to know and certainly an option, especially for a laptop that could be placed inside a properly sized bag when not being used.  Couple the Faraday bag with a solar charging system and if there was an EMP, you would still have a working computer.

One other thing. You may find sources online that say that when a device is turned off, it will not need EMP protection.  I reached out to Joel Ho, the developer of the Mobilesec Bags and asked him about that.  Here is what he said:

I’m assuming you are referring to the part about devices being off not needing protection – it’s simplified a bit – essentially, devices that are off are extremely difficult to damage because there’s no existing current to piggyback on.

Imagine that an EMP is a tidal wave.  If it approaches a full reservoir (electricity and current) it can keep going. If the reservoir is empty (no juice), the tidal wave loses energy navigating the reservoir.

There are hints of this in the article Electromagnetic Pulse Protection by Jerry Emanuelson.

The major reason [most sources] don’t say “your devices are safe if off” is because most devices are usually still connected to power lines and thus susceptible – but if devices are in EMP bags (which by definition are almost always disconnected as the filters are expensive), AND the devices are off, it is unlikely, given the relatively high FCC shielding regulations to prevent excess energy from bleeding OUT into the environment, that enough can get IN to damage those electronics.

This is NOT true for every device – more like a guideline than a hard 100% rule.  Different devices have different levels of built-in shielding – a computer has much more than a $10 Radio Shack timer, for example

The Final Word


Should a massive EMP occur, stores won’t be open, credit cards won’t work, and the gas you have in your car may be all the gas you’ll ever have for months or even possibly years. When you think about it, an EMP will become the “Ebola virus of electronics”.

That said, you know that I am not a doom and gloomer.  Quite the contrary.  I am an optimist to the nth degree.  Yet even the optimist is sobered at the ramifications of an EMP and especially at the prospect of a weapon-based EMP. If nothing else, I would like to have a mode of communication following a massive EMP.

Will the DIY Faraday cage work?  It is speculation to say for sure.  My own research plus my limited understanding of electronics tells me it will, but this premise will remain unproven until an actual EMP event occurs.

The bottom line is that I hope a catastrophic EMP never happens.  But if it does, I want to be ready to fend for myself without electronics. Sure, having communication gear and other electronic gizmos in a working Faraday cage will be a wonderful thing.  But even if it doesn’t work, the goal of preparedness is to prevail, even if that means living in an off-grid society for weeks, months, or even years.

Behrens 10-Gallon Locking Lid Can : This 10 gallon can would make a perfect Faraday cage from small electronics.  The locking lid is a bonus although I would still seal the edges with 2” duct tape. This price, by the way, is less than my local Ace Hardware store.  Also available in this larger size 20 Gallon size.

3M Duct Tape : A good quality duct tape is an absolute necessity when sealing your DIY Faraday cage.  For slightly less, you can purchase 3M Utility Grade Duct Tape

Midland 36-Mile 50-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radios : These are the handheld radios that I own. There are lots of good uses for the these radios. Handy while hiking, traveling, or simply keeping in touch with your partner while out shopping. Just be aware that getting a 36 mile range out of any handheld FRS radio is a myth.

Pofung/Baofeng UV-5R Ham Two Way Radio: Redundancy is the name of the game.  I also have two of these inexpensive HAM radios.  Keep in mind that if you are just planning to listen, you do not need a license (I am still working on mine).  The price is right.  Also consider the NAGOYA Antenna for BAOFENG UV-5R  and the USB Programming Cable for Baofeng UV-5R UV-3R+. Note: the Pofung was formerly known as the Baofeng UV-5R).

SunJack Portable Solar Charger :  SunJack® helps mobile users stay charged on the go anywhere the sun shines. The SunJack® is able to fully charge its internal battery pack in about 5 hours of direct sunlight, or directly power any USB device. When the sun isn’t shining, users can still energize their devices from the powerful SunJack® battery, which holds enough charge to power up to 4 iPhones.

Kaito Voyager Trek Solar/Crank AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Radio with 5-LED Flashlight : This simple to operate radio can be powered by three AAA batteries or the built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery which in turn can be charged by hand cranking, by solar panel or even by a PC. . The 7-weather channels are pre-programmed and numbered from 1-7, you can easily and conveniently tune into the stations by adjusting the switch.  Note that not all emergency radios include the NOAA weather band so this is an important feature.

Cell Phone Faraday Cage Bag:  This is the bag I have been testing.  It is also stops hacking and the tracking of your phone.  Mobilsec also has a laptop sized Faraday Cage EMP Shield

FREE: DYI Personal EMP Defense System


 

Yours for another revolution,

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’

 

Post Script…

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays & free reports that I provide annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.  You can make a donation at top of this page via PayPal.

 

Additional Resources

The Anatomy of a Breakdown

The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster

Contact! A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival

 
Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…


 

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A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production