Communicate Like A Canary, by Jessie Blaine

One aspect of my communications plan includes something very similar to a warrant canary.  I need a simple and discrete way of giving an indication that something isn’t right at the ranch house and building a system based on the warrant canary method seems to fit the bill.

What is a Warrant Canary?

A warrant canary is a statement that says a company hasn’t received any warrants or secret requests from law enforcement officers or the government to access user data (phone companies, internet service providers and libraries).

Privacy-oriented organizations wanted a way to give an alert that they were forced to report user information, so the concept of a warrant canary was created.  Usually, the organization would post a sign, symbol or message in a publicly viewed area, like a website or a bulletin board, that gave the indication that everything was business as usual.

However, if they were forced to turn over information or served a warrant, they would simply remove the sign, symbol, or message.  The absence of the canary (statement, sign or symbol) would indicate to the patron or user that there was a potential compromise, and they should proceed with caution.

If the warrant canary was up, then everything was good.

If the warrant canary was gone, then something had been compromised.

However, warrant canaries seemed to have lost popularity, partly because of the complicated legal system.  In fact, places like Australia have outlawed warrant canaries.  No matter what everyone else is doing, there are a few organizations that still publish a canary on their website.

Avast (stand-alone canary page)

Purism (stand-alone canary page)

NordVPN (found at the bottom of an information page)

Why A Bird, Why A Canary?

The reference to canaries comes from coal miners who worked in dangerous conditions.  Coal miners used to take canaries down into the mines with them as they worked, and the canaries would be their air monitoring system.  Because canaries were more susceptible to poor air quality, especially the carbon monoxide gas, the coal miners would keep one eye on their work and one eye on their bird.  If they bird was acting normal, there was confidence that the atmosphere was safe.

If the canary started showing signs of distress, then the miners would know that something was wrong, and they would leave the mine.

The phrase, “like a canary in a coalmine” has long been associated with a simple warning system that provides an indication of potential danger. Having a warning system in place is a way to gain better advantage when dealing with adverse conditions.  Advanced warning gives time and space…two things that work to your advantage.    When working in a mine, conditions could change quickly and it was important to have an early warning system in place.

And it’s also important to me, as a Partisan Prepper, to have a system in place.  I want to be able to give an alert that something isn’t right.  I want to give a simple sign so that others have the time and space to respond appropriately.

How Does It Work?

I’m not worried when my canaries are sitting in their places, I get concerned when I see their absence…when they aren’t in their proper places.

One of my canaries is on the common approach to my ranch and another one is on the approach to the ranch house.

When approaching the ranch, I have a t-post that is held up by a corner brace on a barbed wire fence.  Barbed wire fences and t-posts are a common sight, so this blends in well with the local surroundings.  And for me, I want my canaries to blend in so they can be hidden in plain sight.

If I want to activate the warning, I simply get out of the truck, push the t-post over and leave.  It’s really that simple.  T-post up, were all good. T-post gone, somethings not right.  This is a discrete, but effective way to let people know to proceed with caution.

The second canary is an old coyote skull that has been incorporated into the decorative landscaping around the ranch house.  It’s common in this area for people to have cow and coyote skulls as landscaping, so this looks like a normal aspect of yard art.

If I need to activate the warrant canary, then I just grab the skull and toss it into the brush.  When the skull is in place by the rock, everything is good, but if it’s missing or has been moved, the something isn’t right.  Again, another simple warning method that only takes a few seconds to implement.

It’s Not Perfect

One downside to this type of system, is that it can generate false positives.  While it’s unlikely that anyone would ever move the t-post or mess with an old coyote skull, it could happen.  A person crossing the fence could inadvertently knock over the t-post.  The kids could be out playing and move the skull.

While is possible to have a false positive activation, it’s not very likely.  And besides, I like having a system that, if there are issues, it reverts to a fail-safe position.  I’d rather err on the side of caution instead of being lulled into a false sense of security.

Another drawback to this system is that the warrant canary doesn’t provide any specific information.   Actually, it’s a vague and generalized signal.  All a warrant canary does is provide a heads-up.  That’s it.  But the advantage comes in the early warning, because with an early warning, you now have space and time to implement other action steps.

Another potential to consider is how this type of vague warning system would be a catalyst for heightened stress and rash decisions in some people.  Some group members may jump to conclusions and make hasty decisions based on a warrant canary.

Before implementing, this system needs to be used with clear instructions and adequate training under a variety of situations.

What’s The Plan If It’s Activated?

Our group has a simple protocol on how to proceed if any of the canaries are out of place.  It’s a simple method for communicating and observing.

Basically, it starts with communicating.  After the canary is seen out of place, an attempt is made to make voice communication with the ranch house using cell phones first and then radios second.

If that doesn’t work, we have dead-drop system where the canary initiator will physically leave behind a written note with information and instructions (this will be covered in a future article).

Is This Really Necessary?

For our group it is.  I have people who may be traveling significant distances to get to the ranch, and in the event of a bug-out or a compromising situation, I want to be able to give an early warning alert for others.  I’ve never had to use this in a real situation, and I hope that I never will.  But if the need comes up, I sure feel better knowing that I have a simple solution in place.

Why I Like Warrant Canaries?

This is a low-cost/no-cost communication option, as there is no expensive equipment to purchase.

This is completely self-sustaining as there are no batteries to replace or moving parts to be maintained.

These are robust and weather resistant.

They don’t need daily updates.  My only interaction is to look at them when I pass by (which can be countless time each day).

They are passive in nature, meaning I don’t need to be present or constantly work to give a sign, I take one action and then the signal is given.

They are so simple that even a child can use the system.

Summary

Is the system perfect? Nope. But after each rehearsal, we have learned, adjusted, and improved our approach to using warrant canaries.

There are plenty of different ways to implement this system and a group could have dozens of these stretched for miles between bug out spots, rally points and cache locations.  I’m sure we will refine, update, and make modifications as we continue to train and improve.

Warrant canaries are just a small part of an overall communication plan.  Anticipating that the modern way we communicate could be limited in the future, I’m working to develop simple systems that are specific, sustainable, and functionally independent from the modern infrastructure that we enjoy today.

Jessie

Jessie Blaine is a former Marine living in refuge somewhere in the Lone Star state.  He is in a perpetual state of learning, which is the second-best state to be in, with the Lone Star state being the first.