If someone steals your firearm, there are a few things you need to do. One is a step you must take BEFORE your gun goes missing. Basically, if you own a firearm (or multiple firearms), YOU MUST DO THIS!

In this week’s roundup of must-read articles, you’ll learn an effective maneuver that can stop any attacker in their tracks… six ways to turn an everyday item into a powerful survival tool… why you should check your social media account right now… and more.

Nowadays, even bigwigs in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street are getting into the prepping game. When the wealthiest people in America are worried, you should be too. Take a look at this “Doomsday Prepping List” put together by our friends over at 4Patriots. It’s the most comprehensive prepping list we’ve posted to date.

Identity theft hit an all-time high in 2017 and — for the first time ever — more Social Security numbers were stolen than credit card numbers. The bottom line is it’s up to you to keep your information private and out of the hands of thieves. To help you do this, here are four simple tips to minimize the risk of your information being stolen.

This week’s mailbag features several clever solutions for making the most of your everyday carry (EDC) items. You’ll also learn the safest way to handle a stalker, how to upgrade your gun safe so it’s EMP-proof and where to buy the most secure locks for your home. Let’s dive in. In at least one place, …

Obviously, firearms are expensive and caching more than one can quickly add up. So today, I want to share with you some inexpensive (but still quality) guns that you can cache on a budget.

Kim Jong Un says he’s ready to negotiate… but will Trump’s North Korea summit put the U.S. on the path to war?

The key to effective self-defense in a lifesaving situation is training, which simply equals repetition — or muscle memory. One of the best ways to become a better shooter is through dry fire practice. Here’s an example of a typical dry fire routine — and how to do it safely.

Chemical weapons can be fatal in incredibly small doses, which is one of the reasons they are so hazardous. If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of a chemical attack, it is critical that you take the following steps to minimize the risks.

This week’s roundup of must-read articles covers all manner of threats from environmental to chemical to digital — and what you can do to protect yourself. Plus, learn how to keep your prepping under wraps to avoid drawing unwanted attention in a disaster scenario.

Last fall, news broke of a new cyberattack that specifically targeted the current industry standard encryption protocol for wireless devices. Now, tech security leaders realize it’s time to update the way we connect to online networks. In today’s alert, learn how to protect your privacy until the new encryption standard is ready to roll out.

When the SHTF, the best way to avoid getting caught up in the chaos is to avoid locations that will likely be hit by looters. Today, Modern Combat & Survival’s Jeff Anderson runs down nine “looting hot spots” you should be aware of in the event civil unrest erupts in your town.

This “best of” edition of the Weekly Drop is a collection of reader questions that focus on emergency preparedness. Because when it comes to surviving disasters, preparation is key.

Today, our colleagues over at 4Patriots explain why indoor pollution is worse than outdoor pollution and run down eight ways to keep your home contaminant-free. They even highlight an amazing device that works around the clock to keep you — and your family — safe. ​

In this edition of “Survival Stories,” discover how to survive all manner of natural disasters from avalanches to tsunamis, in addition to what you should teach your children so they can avoid being kidnapped and more. ​

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board recently moved the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock to 11:58 — two minutes to catastrophe. For a detailed breakdown of what this means, what’s in store and what major threats contributed to the time change, check out this article.

I know many people who are visual learners. That’s why this week, instead of the usual batch of must-read articles, I put together a list of must-watch videos covering a variety of survival skills and easy-to-build gadgets.

Recently, I stopped by Harry Connick Jr.’s talk show Harry, where I revealed five essential items that will help you survive until help arrives if you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere. I also demonstrated precisely how to break out if you’re ever kidnapped or trapped in a rapidly sinking vehicle.

We’ll call her “Lindsay.” After asking her two simple questions that I use to determine the quality of a potential employee — she flunked out. Now, I understand you might not be an employer, but this method of questioning can be used anytime you need help determining if someone is being honest with you or not.

There are a ton of great recommendations in this edition of the Weekly Drop — from the best self-defense weapons that aren’t a gun… to where you can buy QuikClot if you’re not a medical professional… to how to get your hands on a discontinued Baofeng UV-5R two-way radio.

In a recent edition of the Weekly Drop, a reader asked about how to execute a zip tie escape if your hands are bound behind you. In the following article, Jeff Anderson does a great job of breaking down his escape method step by step.

A new email scam has emerged, and the scariest part is who the sender appears to be. Here are some things you should do immediately if you’ve downloaded a suspicious file or think you may have been targeted by phishers.

As the gun debate in our country heats up, take a look at one of the most popular articles ever published in Black Bag Confidential. In it, former CIA officer and firearms expert Jason Hanson addresses the question of whether or not convicted felons should be stripped of their Second Amendment rights. ​

This week’s batch of must-read articles covers all sorts of threats from disease to digital and everything in between. But first, see why sometimes it pays to think like a criminal.