Black Bag Confidential

I don’t advocate violence for violence’s sake. But when it comes to self-defense, you should do whatever you need to do to get out of the situation alive.

It’s winter. The temperature is below freezing. You hear the sound of breaking glass. Your kids start screaming. An intruder is at your front door.

There’s a lot going on in the world, and it seems like some new danger crops up every day. From disunity in Italy to uncontrollable wildfires in Tennessee, here are your must-read articles this week.

We’ve got quite a full mailbag this week — covering questions from how to choose a home security system to the advantages and disadvantages of Kevlar cord versus paracord.

Most people don’t realize one of the most vulnerable points of any retail transaction is the moment you check out. Avoid becoming a victim of a point-of-sale attack with these tips.

From a missing family to a mistress assassin to a Social Security shortage, here is this week’s food for thought.

I hope you are still enjoying leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast. Me, I’m back to business answering more reader mail. Without further ado, here’s your new edition of the Weekly Drop, including tips to stay safe while shopping for the holidays.

Most of you are busy with food shopping or house cleaning or packing to visit relatives this week, but please take a moment to check out these five must-read articles. There’s plenty of valuable information, including one extra step you should take to stay safe for the holidays.

Allow me to welcome you to Black Bag Confidential’s Weekly Drop. Each week, I’ll tackle your most pressing questions ­— the things that keep you up at night worrying about your safety and the safety of your loved ones. Then I’ll “drop” it in your inbox every Saturday.

During his presidential run — and several times since the election — Donald Trump has mentioned that he’d once again make it permissible for the government to torture terrorists in order to gain valuable information. To those who claim they don’t believe in torture and say the U.S. government should never do it, consider this.