If you're prepared for zombies, You're prepared for anything!
Colorado Zombie Outpost
Of all of the "doomsday" scenarios this is one of the more frightening and more likely to occur. Recent news stories have revealed the capabilities and tenacity of hackers the world over. The theft of massive amounts of credit card information has become so common place that it's hard to even take notice anymore. According to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) head of cyber security, even the most secure computer systems are only secure until someone figures out how to crack them. Banking systems are mostly privately run so security is up to the individual banks. Criminal organizations and even foreign governments are trying 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to hack the financial systems in this country. Should that occur it's not inconceivable that every financial record in this country could be deleted. All bank accounts, all deeds of ownership, everything gone in seconds. The riots that would follow would be unprecedented. Companies would not be able to pay employees and with no means to determine how much money was in customer accounts, banks would immediately close and freeze all activity. Anyone without cash will have no means to buy food, water, or any other basic necessities. That's when the strong will start to take from the weak, and things are likely to get pretty ugly. Having the means to survive will be useless without the means and the mindset to defend it. It might sound selfish, but your first priority needs to be your own survival. If you're unable to provide for yourself, or unwilling to protect yourself, you don't stand a chance of helping friends or loved ones. As with any disaster, every single "prepper" item you acquire now, will only improve your odds of survival later.