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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think everyone needs to prepare for cybercrime as the new war

65 replies

MyHeartyCoralSnail · 28/04/2025 12:47

It looks like power has been lost across Spain and Portugal -we don’t know why yet, but it’s clear the infrastructure is able to be taken down, M&S have been attacked and finding it very difficult to sort out. Banks seem to go down on a weekly basis, the NHS suffers fairly frequently.

AIBU to think we need to take more stuff off line. Have access to at least a weeks worth of expenditure in cash and to be prepared in our homes (as advised) to lose all utilities for a few days?

OP posts:
IncessantNameChanger · 28/04/2025 15:00

Cash is always useful. If the entire banking system goes down I can still buy food and takeaway. Our sainsbury's have infrequent but regular days where the cards don't work but they still take cash. The cashmachine by the door is then empty.

Eg say visa or Mastercard goes TU for 24 hours Sainsbury's would rather the inconvenience of cash over thousands of pounds of food going out of date and in the bin.

Most companies would rather take cash than loose a day's trade.

AquaPeer · 28/04/2025 15:04

INeedAnotherName · 28/04/2025 14:31

It was before the invasion of Ukraine. Those countries have always been sensible and level headed in general. Although I don't know what point you are trying to make surely getting everyone (of any country) to be self sufficient for 72 hours is a good thing, don't you agree?

Do you know how long Russia has been a hostile neighbour to these countries?!?
They’re not sensible and level headed, they’re leaflet dropping. A performative and easy way of getting an untested message across.

and no I don’t think being self sufficient for 72 hours is all that. You wont freeze or starve in 72 hours, and you wont be able to take your cash to get a takeaway as the take away will be closed 🤣 I think it’s just a bit daft tbh

AquaPeer · 28/04/2025 15:06

TweetingHurricane · 28/04/2025 14:57

I worry about the people on oxygen, dialysis machines etc

I wouldn’t worry about that- the real worry is whether they have enough tea lights to boil a mug of water for coffee

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 28/04/2025 15:12

TweetingHurricane · 28/04/2025 14:57

I worry about the people on oxygen, dialysis machines etc

I think hospitals have e a certain amount of back up supply.

WallaceinAnderland · 28/04/2025 15:16

Humans really can not live without electricity. It shuts down everything and the essentials, food and water will run out very quickly. Without fuel there would be no means to transport anything. We probably wouldn't last much longer than a few months.

EasternEcho · 28/04/2025 15:18

AquaPeer · 28/04/2025 15:06

I wouldn’t worry about that- the real worry is whether they have enough tea lights to boil a mug of water for coffee

You were posting heavily on the other thread a while back on being prepared for 72 hours along the vein of how everything is pointless. You've started up again here. What's your agenda? If you don't agree with this, why keep spamming the thread?

AquaPeer · 28/04/2025 15:24

EasternEcho · 28/04/2025 15:18

You were posting heavily on the other thread a while back on being prepared for 72 hours along the vein of how everything is pointless. You've started up again here. What's your agenda? If you don't agree with this, why keep spamming the thread?

I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I have no feelings about 72 hours

EasternEcho · 28/04/2025 15:34

AquaPeer · 28/04/2025 15:24

I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I have no feelings about 72 hours

If I've confused you as someone on a previous thread I apologize. However, I am in Denmark and I can assure you that the government's recommendations are not performative. You may not freeze in 72 hours but you may die of thirst. Especially the young, elderly, and sick and vulnerable. There is no harm in being prepared.

taxguru · 28/04/2025 15:35

We were doing this, thankfully, for years, as our city was badly hit by Storm Desmond in 2015 when the city was without electricity for around 3/4 days and suffered haphazard interrupted power for another 3/4 days afterwards. Shops were closed, no trains/buses, no petrol stations, and both landline phone and mobile phone networks were "down" for the first couple of days.

Luckily we had an old battery radio so we could listen to our wonderful local radio who managed to carry on broadcasting by diesel generators, lots of loose wires around their studio and torches/candles, and they managed to keep everyone updated.

We've always had a bit of "stock", i.e. candles, torches, bottled water, and lots of tins/packet foods, so we managed fine, cooking on a camp stove.

We also had cash, but it really was useless because the shops were closed anyway, so there was nothing to buy.

We were very glad to have reserves, and have built them up even more ever since - we're not in "tin hat" territory, but we could be self sufficient for a couple of weeks if whatever happens, whether another bad weather incident, or cyber attack, or whatever really.

It's actually frightening seeing how literally everything closed down when there's not electric. Cash really won't help if the buses aren't running, the shops are closed, etc.

taxguru · 28/04/2025 15:40

WallaceinAnderland · 28/04/2025 15:16

Humans really can not live without electricity. It shuts down everything and the essentials, food and water will run out very quickly. Without fuel there would be no means to transport anything. We probably wouldn't last much longer than a few months.

Even our train station shut down because without electricity, they couldn't illuminate the platforms, light or heat the ticket office, light the dark underground subway, nor could they power the CCTV systems for security/safety, etc. Trains just ran through and didn't stop. (Power to signalling etc came from the main signal box operating centre in a different city so wasn't affected).

So, yes, power cuts affect far more than people realise.

taxguru · 28/04/2025 15:42

IncessantNameChanger · 28/04/2025 15:00

Cash is always useful. If the entire banking system goes down I can still buy food and takeaway. Our sainsbury's have infrequent but regular days where the cards don't work but they still take cash. The cashmachine by the door is then empty.

Eg say visa or Mastercard goes TU for 24 hours Sainsbury's would rather the inconvenience of cash over thousands of pounds of food going out of date and in the bin.

Most companies would rather take cash than loose a day's trade.

If there's no electricity, the supermarkets won't be opening as they won't be able to light, ventilate, heat the place, the tills won't work, there'll be no CCTV cameras for security etc. They simply won't be "open" to sell the perishables.

AquaPeer · 28/04/2025 15:43

EasternEcho · 28/04/2025 15:34

If I've confused you as someone on a previous thread I apologize. However, I am in Denmark and I can assure you that the government's recommendations are not performative. You may not freeze in 72 hours but you may die of thirst. Especially the young, elderly, and sick and vulnerable. There is no harm in being prepared.

You have confused me with someone else- I have never posted or had an agenda about 72 hours. I do have both a Norwegian and Swedish best friend of 30+ years though and don’t find their reality as sensible and level headed as British people seem obsessed with

AquaPeer · 28/04/2025 15:45

I also have a best friend who is South African (get me being all international) and they have scheduled and unscheduled power cuts every day. It can be managed- at a government level, not by Doris’ tea light coffee- but is obviously not ideal.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 28/04/2025 16:00

Reporting now that it was because of "rare atmospheric conditions" "temperature fluctuations" and oscillations. Well that's alright then.....🥴🧐🤨🤔

ShoalShark · 28/04/2025 16:07

taxguru · 28/04/2025 15:42

If there's no electricity, the supermarkets won't be opening as they won't be able to light, ventilate, heat the place, the tills won't work, there'll be no CCTV cameras for security etc. They simply won't be "open" to sell the perishables.

i agree but also I am pretty sure windows would be getting broken and people would be grabbing food from supermarkets very quickly after power goes off for everyone. Anyone without food to feed their family won’t care about tne legalities of stealing from the supermarket in an emergency situation like this.

GoodCharl · 28/04/2025 16:40

MistressoftheDarkSide · 28/04/2025 16:00

Reporting now that it was because of "rare atmospheric conditions" "temperature fluctuations" and oscillations. Well that's alright then.....🥴🧐🤨🤔

wtf?!

CigarettesAndLoveBites · 28/04/2025 17:42

A lot of companies won't say it out loud but they will be under DOS attack or bot attempts at hacking on a daily basis. Most of the time they are unsuccessful but you just need one of them to get through.

Redpeach · 28/04/2025 17:43

MyHeartyCoralSnail · 28/04/2025 13:46

Yes, I think for many, inc myself it’s only now becoming obvious what’s happening. I’ve started a cash fund at home and emergency equipment

How much cash do we need to stash away at home

Redpeach · 28/04/2025 17:46

IncessantNameChanger · 28/04/2025 15:00

Cash is always useful. If the entire banking system goes down I can still buy food and takeaway. Our sainsbury's have infrequent but regular days where the cards don't work but they still take cash. The cashmachine by the door is then empty.

Eg say visa or Mastercard goes TU for 24 hours Sainsbury's would rather the inconvenience of cash over thousands of pounds of food going out of date and in the bin.

Most companies would rather take cash than loose a day's trade.

How much cash should we be keeping at home?

TweetingHurricane · 28/04/2025 17:46

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 28/04/2025 15:12

I think hospitals have e a certain amount of back up supply.

Sorry I meant at home

Redpeach · 28/04/2025 17:50

taxguru · 28/04/2025 15:35

We were doing this, thankfully, for years, as our city was badly hit by Storm Desmond in 2015 when the city was without electricity for around 3/4 days and suffered haphazard interrupted power for another 3/4 days afterwards. Shops were closed, no trains/buses, no petrol stations, and both landline phone and mobile phone networks were "down" for the first couple of days.

Luckily we had an old battery radio so we could listen to our wonderful local radio who managed to carry on broadcasting by diesel generators, lots of loose wires around their studio and torches/candles, and they managed to keep everyone updated.

We've always had a bit of "stock", i.e. candles, torches, bottled water, and lots of tins/packet foods, so we managed fine, cooking on a camp stove.

We also had cash, but it really was useless because the shops were closed anyway, so there was nothing to buy.

We were very glad to have reserves, and have built them up even more ever since - we're not in "tin hat" territory, but we could be self sufficient for a couple of weeks if whatever happens, whether another bad weather incident, or cyber attack, or whatever really.

It's actually frightening seeing how literally everything closed down when there's not electric. Cash really won't help if the buses aren't running, the shops are closed, etc.

Edited

So we don't have to stash cash under the mattress like some are saying?

MyHeartyCoralSnail · 28/04/2025 20:23

taxguru · 28/04/2025 15:42

If there's no electricity, the supermarkets won't be opening as they won't be able to light, ventilate, heat the place, the tills won't work, there'll be no CCTV cameras for security etc. They simply won't be "open" to sell the perishables.

Cask is useful though if it’s your bank that’s been attacked or the shops payments systems (like M&S) but it happened across multiple stores

OP posts:
abracadabra1980 · 28/04/2025 20:35

Thanks for this thread. Been meaning to sort myself out for ages regarding this. All I have to date are solar fairly lights in my conservatory and a gas camping stove and canisters. Will download stuff tomorrow and have been on the cusp of purchasing a portable power bank for ages for my camper van so that will be next.

MyHeartyCoralSnail · 28/04/2025 20:41

These are the things we have for a house of 3 plus dog. - some is just out camping kit

solar/battery lantern
candles
wind up radio/rorch/charger - spare batteries and solar
torch each plus spare batteries
camping stove with lots of gas bottles
thick sleeping bags
lighter and flint spark maker
few hundred in cash
dried dog food
tins of ham/corned beef
tinned peas and carrots
20 2litre water bottles
water purification tablets
dried milk
pain killers and first aid kit
tins of fruit
tins of various lentils/beans etc (I’m vegan)
cous cous
vitamin tablets
boiled sweets
power packs

Can anyone think of anything else?

OP posts:
PassingStranger · 28/04/2025 20:45

All this pushing people online
Was it so great.