This post is going to warn you about a very aggressive email scam. I thought I’d seen it all, but I have recently gotten some pretty aggressive phishing emails that caught my attention. I want to make you aware of this scam so you don’t get taken by it. This aggressive email scam can give you a big jolt of fear, but hopefully I can prepare you for the day you get one of these.
VIDEO: How to Shim a Latch, aka The “Credit Card Trick”
A few years ago I wrote an article demonstrating how to shim a latch and protect your lock from same. This is a topic that I always felt was inadequately covered in writing and photos alone. So, I put together this quick video on how to shim a latch, also known as the ol’ credit card trick.
Distinguished Savage Podcast Appearance: UNLOC AAR
I recently appeared on the Distinguished Savage Podcast. Walt and I after-action the recent UNLOC (Unconventional Lock Opening Concepts) class that I taught and he attended.
USCAN Deadbolt: The Best Residential Deadbolt
Finding a deadbolt that I am comfortable recommending, and that is somewhat affordable has been difficult. Thanks to a locksmith friend I have finally found one that I can recommend with confidence. It is the USCAN Grade II Deadbolt, quite possible the best residential deadbolt you can buy at such an affordable price. I have had these on my house for the past two months. Let’s talk about what makes them so great, and where to buy them.
Eliminate Online Credit Card Theft with Privacy.com
My credit card was recently stolen. I used it at a very friendly but technically non-savvy local business. Within a few days fraudulent charges came pouring in, ranging from $1.00 to $401.67. The merchants were Paypal and Amazon. I know I didn’t make these charges but honestly, I don’t care. None of these fake charges was able to touch my money. I have the ultimate credit card security: Privacy.com.
Self Defense for EMS Professionals
By the very nature of the job Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel are exposed to dangerous situations. Emergencies are fluid, fast-moving affairs and they often happen in sketchy places. Patients are sometimes combative due to the call itself (assaults, domestic violence), or being drunk or high. EMS crews are asked to go into “bad” neighborhoods, walk into strange houses, and be left alone with a person they just met. There’s a lot that can go wrong. Today I’m going to explore some options for self-defense for EMS professionals.
Post-Engagement, Part I: Search & Assess
If there’s one technique in the tactical community that divides shooters into camps it’s the post-engagement search and assess. Yes, I’m talking about the, “look left, look right, look rear” after you’ve taken your shots, but before you tac reload/holster/move/whatever. Some very knowledgeable shooters I know and trainers I’ve trained under recommend this practice. Some equally knowledgeable guys that I know, train with, or read call it “tactical theater.” Let’s talk about it.
Recommended Digital Tools and Services
I have written about a lot of security tools over the years. I generally prefer to focus on techniques and behaviors rather than tools. Security-minded behavior is generally more effective than security tools. It is easier and vastly more certain, for instance, to conceal a thought that was never committed to text than it is to erase it afterward. Tools can also create a false sense of security and cause a disregard for the importance of security behaviors.
In some instances tools are indispensable, however. Tools can provide capabilities that behavior alone cannot. This post will serve as a repository of my current recommended tools and services. It will host links to my articles/reviews about these products, as well as links to their host sites, and I will update it frequently.
Lock Safari: Dublin, Ireland
Last year I had the opportunity to spend some time in Belfast, Dublin, and Cork. Unfortunately, most of my time was spent in Dublin – my least favorite of the three. Recently I was reviewing my photos from that trip and realized how many noteworthy locks I actually found there. This will probably only be of interest to the lock nerds. If you aren’t you can still get something out of this: most American locks are junk compared to the locks used by the rest of the world.
Digital Security Primer Part IV.I: Data In Motion
In the last three parts of my Digital Security Primer I discussed the importance of digital security, making your device a hard target for malware, and protecting your cloud-stored data. This time I am going to get into the cool, sexy stuff: encryption for your data-in-motion. But first, I’m going to make some of you angry.