{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"7MS #728: Securing Your Family During and After a Disaster \u2013 Part 8","description":"Hey friends! This is a tough one to write. My dad passed away on Friday, and instead of the hacker-y tech episode I had planned, I pivoted to something more personal \u2014 another installment of our \u201cSecuring Your Family During and After a Disaster\u201d series. I talk pretty raw and transparently today about loss, grief, and the practical stuff that makes a hard situation just a little less hard. Fair warning: it\u2019s about death and dying, so if that\u2019s not where your head is today, it\u2019s totally okay to duck out \u2013 we\u2019ll catch you next week. Here\u2019s what I cover: My dad\u2019s last day \u2014 He spent Thursday doing all his favorite things: chainsaws, ATVs, trap-shooting, mowing, and weed-whipping. Then Chinese food with the family and marveling at modern video games for the first time since the Atari 5200. It was, by all accounts, a perfect day for him. How we found out \u2014 My son Cameron, who\u2019s finishing up paramedic school, was visiting and sprung into EMT mode when my dad was found unresponsive Friday morning. He did CPR for 10 straight minutes \u2014 on his grandpa, who was his favorite person in the world. That\u2019s the stuff that\u2019s going to stay with Cam (and me) for a long time. Getting some closure \u2014 Cameron had the presence of mind to ask the paramedics to leave my dad in place so I could have a few minutes with him when we arrived. That was both devastating and, in its own way, healing. Why pre-planning your funeral is a gift to your family \u2014 My parents had nearly everything already picked out: the pastor, Bible verses, music, the military honors ceremony, photos for the display board, and even a time limit on service length (45 minutes and no more!). My dad had pre-written his own obituary. When we sat down with the funeral home, the heavy lifting was already done \u2014 and that was a genuine gift to all of us in an incredibly hard moment. Storyworth \u2014 seriously, do this \u2014 Years ago we signed my dad up for Storyworth, a service that sends your loved one a weekly question via email (things like \u201cWhat\u2019s your earliest childhood memory?\u201d or \u201cDo you have any regrets?\u201d) and compiles their answers into a hardcover book. It runs about $100. Reading that book the last few nights has been incredibly comforting \u2014 including finding out my dad started smoking at age 8 using used cigarette butts rolled in toilet paper. Gross! Get your end-of-life wishes in writing \u2014 My wife\u2019s mom had verbally told us she wanted to be cremated, but it wasn\u2019t documented, and other family members made a different call. My dad put \u201ccremation\u201d right in his paperwork, no ambiguity. My recommendation: have this conversation with your loved ones, write their wishes down and make them official. Funeral home \u201cupsell\u201d moment \u2014 I had no idea there were apparently 627 ways to incorporate your loved one\u2019s remains into keepsakes \u2014 pendants, rings, necklaces with fingerprints, biodegradable urns for water scattering, etc. Some family members were very into this. I was not quite ready to turn my dad into an Atari cartridge, but your mileage may vary. On grief itself \u2014 Everybody handles it differently, at different speeds and intensities. My approach is to head straight into it rather than put on a happy face and deal with unprocessed grief years later. I encourage everyone \u2014 especially the kids \u2014 to not hold back. Ask the questions. Tell the stories. Cry if you need to. Give each other grace. Coming up next week \u2014 Back to pentesting content! I\u2019ll share details on a new lab from the folks who brought us Game of Active Directory, and I\u2019m getting back on the CARTP (Certified Azure Red Team Professional) horse. I\u2019m also tentatively eyeing the third Thursday of July for an unedited livestream of owning Ninja Hacker Academy from start to finish \u2014 Kali setup, tools, Mythic C2, BallisKit obfuscation, the whole thing. More details to come. If you\u2019re the thoughts, prayers, and\/or good vibes type, I\u2019d really appreciate you sending some my family\u2019s way over the next few weeks. ","author_name":"7 Minute Security","author_url":"https:\/\/7MinSec.com","html":"