Electronics are everywhere in our lives today. Electronics have processors, chips, and circuit boards encased in plastic or metal. We rely on our electronics for just about everything today.
Because we rely on them and want to keep them, we try to protect them.
We think about security and purchase virus protection and VPNs. We are concerned about physical vulnerabilities and we buy padded and solid cases. We worry about loss and theft and put locks and trackers on them.
Have you thought about EMP protection? Perhaps it’s time to buy an EMP bag.
What is EMP?
EMP is electromagnetic pulses. It’s an intense burst of electromagnetic energy caused by a sudden and quick acceleration of charged particles. EMP attacks are one of the main threats to the world in the 21st century. We are so dependent on electronics for everything we do and they are most vulnerable to an EMP bomb.
There are natural sources of EMP attacks. Solar storms can cause disruption to entire electrical grids. Human-made weapons are also sources of EMP attacks.
When an EMP blast occurs, low-frequency waves and high-frequency waves are emitted. The low-frequency waves can damage the wiring in an electronic system. The high-frequency waves can destroy entire computer drives and electronic systems.
What Needs EMP Protection?
Many sources advise us of our vulnerability to an EMP attack. When we look around our homes, so many of our tools are based on electronics, so we need to consider what is essential in the case of an EMP attack.
What many people don’t realize is that in the case of an EMP attack their cell phone and communication devices will be useless whether or not they were destroyed in the attack since the entire communication grid would have been destroyed anyway.
There are other reasons to protect communication devices from EMP. Your communication devices like your cell phones, tablets, and computers are vulnerable to pirates who know how to scan them and extract private information. Just ask Edward Snowden.
Other items that you believe to be secure are not. Anything that has an electronic stripe can be scanned and duplicated. Your passport, your credit cards, and any digital identification device you own are vulnerable to hackers.
Did you know that the key fob for your car is also vulnerable? Keyless car theft is becoming a real problem for some car models.
Tips To Consider When Buying an EMP Bag
Another name for an EMP bag is a faraday cage. These were invented by Michael Faraday who invented them in 1836. These EMP bags or faraday cages block electromagnetism, and also radio waves. Faraday established standards of effectiveness which a good quality EMP bag still follows today.
Here’s a good EMP checklist to help you ensure you’re getting a good quality faraday bag with all the features you need.
Quality
The fact is that you can make your own EMP bag if you search a little on the internet. You’ll learn that an EMP bag has layers of puncture-resistant fabric or plastic and that it also has layers of shielding material and you can just slap it all together like a good DIYer. It’s unfortunately not so simple.
A good EMP-proof bag has to seal tightly. EMP can enter through improperly sealed openings. If there is a pressure seal that doesn’t close properly, it’s allowing passage of EMPs. Having a double closure system is the most secure.
A good EMP protection bag should also consist of high-quality shielding layers. The military-grade ones made by Tech Protect have a shielding rating of MIL-B-81705-Rev-C. This is a standard that was verified by NASA.
The effectiveness of a faraday bag is rated by attenuation which is measured in dB. The attenuation rate of an effective EMP bag should be higher than 40 dB.
You also need puncture resistance. You don’t want an EMP bag that can get a hole easily. Also, some faraday bags are waterproof which is a great feature to have for extra protection for your devices.
Features
One of the most important features to consider is the size of the EMP bag. When purchasing your first one, you need to consider what devices you want to protect.
Before you make a final decision on the size, you need to know about the additional protection ‘nesting’ provides. Tech Protect suggests you nest, or place one EMP bag inside of another one for optimal protection against EMPs. This doubles the protection.
For example, if you place two small EMP bags inside a medium one, you have doubly protected the devices inside. You can also place two medium bags inside a large one.
When you purchase your faraday bag, check the closures and also check the seam structure. You want a bag with dual paired seam construction to provide maximum shielding again penetration of electromagnetic waves.
Other features you should consider are compartments and portability. There are some great EMP bags that have multiple compartments and carrying straps. These should seal tightly and have the same secure seam construction to be effective, though.
Price
A good quality EMP bag differs in price from a product of inferior workmanship. You may be able to get a cheap one from the local dollar store but you can be sure your devices won’t be protected very well.
The price of your bag will also depend on the size and the features you’re paying for. Since we don’t know the strength of the EMP attack that may come, it’s best not to sacrifice the quality of the EMP bag to save money.
Getting Started With EMP Protection
You may not have given much thought to EMP protection in the past. A good place to start might be to get protection for your cell phone, your key fob, and your credit cards. These are under a more immediate and tangible threat.
For top-quality, NASA-tested EMP bags, check out what’s available from Tech Protect today!
