That\u2019s a shame because an internet or electric type of emergency is likely to occur one of these days, said Robert Siciliano<\/a>, a security analyst and author of \u201dIdentity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t think it is a matter of \u2018if,\u2019 it is simply a matter of \u2018when.\u2019 The electrical grid, as we know it, is only about 120 years old. And it is scattered in such a way that local or regional brownouts or total failures are happening too often.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: These Highly Rated Portable Power Stations Are Lifesavers During A Blackout<\/a><\/p>\n Siciliano added, \u201cHaving backup food, water, batteries and power should be a consideration for everyone. The term \u2018prepper\u2019 has gotten a bad rap.\u201d He said that if you want to function in the event of a regional or nationwide electric or internet outage, \u201cI think at this point everybody should be prepping.\u201d<\/p>\n So if you want to keep your tech during a period of digital upheaval, feel free to borrow these strategies.<\/p>\n Try and create a backup internet plan.<\/p>\n \u201cPreparing for individual internet disruptions and power outages is straightforward \u2013 you need backup internet access methods and\/or the ability to generate energy on your own,\u201d said Sean Gold<\/a>, who should probably hang out with Siciliano. Gold is a prepper and the owner of the website\u00a0TruePrepper<\/a>. Gold also has a degree in emergency management and was an emergency manager in the Air Force.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t think it is a matter of \u2018if,\u2019 it is simply a matter of \u2018when.\u2019Robert Siciliano, security analyst<\/p>\n Gold said that the best way to not lose your digital life during an internet or electrical grid crisis is to assume it\u2019s going to happen sooner or later and plan for it.<\/p>\n \u201cA cellular hotspot is an easy way to get through a day or two of internet outages, but if the outage is widespread, then that plan is much less effective with the overloaded cell towers. Many preppers are starting to embrace Starlink and satellite ISPs even if they are in less rural areas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Of course, if you\u2019re not a tech person, Gold might as well be talking in Sanskrit. So let\u2019s do a quick translation:<\/p>\n Related: This Is The Emergency Item To Get Before A Storm<\/a><\/p>\n Hotspot: This allows you to hook up your smartphone to a laptop, tablet, smart TV or any device that has the internet. This is helpful if your phone can\u2019t access Wi-Fi but other devices you own can. If the internet is out everywhere, however, as Gold said, you\u2019re not going to get very far with a personal hotspot (your phone\u2019s settings will have instructions as to how to set up a hotspot).<\/p>\n Starlink. You\u2019ve probably heard of Starlink<\/a>; Elon Musk owns it. It\u2019s a satellite internet provider, so if cell phone towers are down, well, no problem \u2013 you\u2019re accessing the internet through satellite technology. Starlink can be pricey:\u00a0$80 to $120<\/a> is what it charges residential households that want to use it, and you\u2019ll have to buy the $349 equipment<\/a> to set it up.<\/p>\n Satellite ISPs. It\u2019s an abbreviated term for satellite internet service provider. The aforementioned Starlink is one. Don\u2019t feel like making Musk richer than he already is? You may want to check out Hughesnet<\/a> (plans start at $49.99 a month for a full year, but you need to set up a two-year contract). Viasat<\/a> is another prominent satellite internet provider (plans start at $69.99 a month<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n Once the internet goes down, you won’t be able to find helpful advice like this if you don’t have a backup plan. Oscar Wong via Getty Images<\/p>\n Satellite ISPs are not perfect. Extreme weather can disrupt the internet<\/a>. But at least when the skies clear up, you should be able to access the internet, and not being able to is what often wrecks people\u2019s sanity. The storm blows through and destroys cell towers or takes out your electricity, and once the disaster is over, you can\u2019t watch your shows, check email, text and make calls.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not crazy about spending around $100 a month on Starlink, Gold says you may want to try Starlink\u2019s Roam plan<\/a>. You\u2019ll spend about $500 on the hardware to set it up, and then there\u2019s a $50 a month service plan.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then pause it, if you plan to only use it as a backup internet service,\u201d Gold said. \u201cThere is no limit to how long you can keep the service paused, so there is no monthly fee at that point. You\u2019ll still need to be able to access the service site to unpause it, but if you see an emergency or disaster coming, you can make that a part of your emergency plan.\u201d<\/p>\n Go shopping.<\/p>\n That is, do it now, before something bad happens to the internet. If you have extra cash lying around, you can create an \u201cI am not losing my tech\u201d shopping list and put at least some of the following on it:<\/p>\n Power bank. Power banks are portable chargers that recharge your electronic devices. \u201cTo power your hotspot for short interruptions, power banks can work for a few days, depending on how much you get online,\u201d Gold said.<\/p>\n Portable power station. These are similar to generators but don\u2019t use fuel. They store electricity in batteries, and like a generator, they keep essential household appliances running. They tend to be cheaper than generators (you can find them in the low hundreds and into the low thousands). Gold said that most preppers are opting for power stations over fuel-powered generators.<\/p>\n Generator. We sort of just covered what these are. But be sure to be careful when setting up a generator. Using them improperly can lead to an early demise (i.e., carbon monoxide poisoning).<\/p>\n Flashlight. Just a good idea to have, if your power inconveniently goes out after sundown.<\/p>\n Battery-operated radio. This can be really handy, especially if you\u2019re in that 57% who isn\u2019t going to work to preserve your digital life in the event of an emergency and will just hope for the best. It might make you feel less cut off from the world to hear some news if you\u2019re unable to access any information on your phone.<\/p>\n Have a tech money plan.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019re broke, shopping for a non-tech apocalypse and are thinking how stupid you\u2019ll feel in a few years if there\u2019s never even a simple outage on your block, consider what your money situation could be like if the internet goes down for a long time.<\/p>\n \u201cNearly everyone across the nation accesses their bank accounts via the internet to pay bills, make deposits, and withdraw funds,\u201d said Chris Reynolds<\/a>, dean of academic outreach and program development at American Public University System<\/a>. Reynolds is also an emergency management expert with over 35 years of experience.<\/p>\n He pointed out that not only are we used to buying gasoline, groceries and other necessities digitally, many of us don\u2019t have cash in our wallets or locked in a safe.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring emergencies, internet and power outages can make banks and ATMs inaccessible, cutting off access to digital funds,\u201d Reynolds said.<\/p>\n So what to do? Reynolds suggested keeping a small amount of emergency cash in small bills \u201cin a secure, waterproof place.\u201d<\/p>\n If you really feel ambitious, he recommended that people consider buying a prepaid debit card to be used for emergencies, like buying groceries or gas.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep this card separate from your daily use accounts,\u201d he said. \u201cThese cards can be used if you lose access to your main bank but can still find working terminals.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: This Emergency Radio Is A Hurricane Season ‘Must-Have’ \u2014 And It’s Over 40% Off<\/a><\/p>\n And if you\u2019re super-duper ambitious? Reynolds said, \u201cAnother option is to form an informal cooperative with your neighbors to help with short-term funds, grocery items, or other small items.\u201d<\/p>\n Whatever you do, he added, \u201cThe time to discover that you no longer have access to your bank account or ATM isn\u2019t during an emergency. Plan in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n Create a family emergency plan.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the first thing you\u2019ll do after a disaster, once you realize that, phew, you\u2019re connected to the internet, and you still have your digital life? You will want to check in with your loved ones, who may not have been thinking ahead like you and who you may not be able to reach. So if you have aging parents that you\u2019re worried about, or adult kids who you\u2019re going to agonize over if you can\u2019t reach them, you could discuss getting a backup internet plan for them \u2015 or if that\u2019s too costly, at least talk about what you\u2019ll do in the event of an emergency in which you can\u2019t reach each other.<\/p>\n Jeremy Gocke, CEO of Entropy Survival<\/a>, an online retailer specializing in disaster and survival kits, recommended setting up what he calls a \u201cpre-internet failure family plan.\u201d He suggests the plan cover:<\/p>\n A place to meet, if you live fairly close to each other.<\/p>\n A plan on when and how often to try to check in, if you don\u2019t live near each other.<\/p>\n A list of who you can relay messages to, such as a designated family member or friend who lives near anyone you\u2019d want to check on.<\/p>\n Whatever you put on the plan, Grocke suggested laminating it and giving it to your family members. \u201cDon\u2019t assume they\u2019ll remember,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Or put it somewhere on the internet, and \u2026 oh, never mind. You could buy one for your household, but also for family members. What are satellite messengers? These are devices that, like a satellite ISP, use satellite technology to stay connected \u2015 and can keep you able to communicate with loved ones when your cell phone can\u2019t. Garmin inReach Messenger<\/a> is probably the most popular satellite messenger out there and retails for $299.99. That said, many cell phone carriers have been adding<\/a>, or are planning to add, satellite technology to their phones, allowing people to text even when cell towers are down.<\/p>\n But we also interviewed a time traveler from the 1990s who explained that if cell phone towers go down everywhere, landline telephones can be an effective way for families to communicate with each other. So that may be an option, unless telephone poles in your area have also been decimated. You could also invest in a CB radio for you and your family or walkie-talkies (as long as you\u2019re in range with family members); Midland<\/a> is a popular brand.<\/p>\n The main thing, Grocke said, is that you plan for a tech outage and don\u2019t assume that just because your tech works beautifully that it always will.<\/p>\n \u201cStart by accepting that if it can go down, it might,\u201d Grocke said. Once you accept that, he said, \u201cyour brain and your preparedness become your most valuable tech.\u201d<\/p>\n Related…<\/p>\n![\"Once](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/c8fdf790038d9d5fdf735557d5421122.jpeg\"\/)
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But if relying solely on a laminated plan to stay in touch seems a little risky, Gocke suggested that you consider adding a satellite messenger to your shopping list.<\/p>\n