If you’ve been paying attention to the jailbreak scene lately, then you’ve heard the warnings about preparing for Apple’s next counter move against jailbreakers. The question is: have you heeded it?

It’s imperative that you update to iOS 5.0.1 now and save your SHSH blobs across all devices, including the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. That way, you can always downgrade to iOS 5.0.1 later, which means you will always have access to an untethered jailbreak.

Inside, we’ll show you how to create a firmware file for your A4 devices that can always be jailbroken. We’ll also tell you what to do to preserve the jailbreakability of your A5 devices as well. If you haven’t done this yet, now is the time to act…

Step 1: Download the latest version of TinyUmbrella and RedSn0w from our Downloads page.

Step 2: Connect your iDevice to your computer.

Step 3: Open TinyUmbrella and Save your 5.0.1 SHSH blobs using the settings outlined in the video above. Note: This has to be done while Apple is still signing the iOS 5.0.1 firmware, so act fast before they update to 5.1. You can also retrieve your blobs from Cydia if you already have them saved on Cydia’s servers.

Step 4: Open RedSn0w and go to Extras > SHSH blobs > Stitch and point to the iOS 5.0.1 firmware for your device, and then select the 5.0.1 SHSH blob and let RedSn0w stitch them together. Note: This step only applies to A4 devices like the iPhone 4 or iPad 2. See below for more details.

Step 5: Save your newly created self-contained IPSW file to a safe spot. Now you will always be able to downgrade to iOS 5.0.1 even if Apple is no longer signing the firmware.

About Stitching: You don’t necessarily have to create a stitched IPSW+SHSH blob to protect your iOS 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak; in fact, as of now you can’t stitch blobs for A5 devices like the iPhone 4S or iPad 2. Instead, save off both the firmware for iOS 5.0.1 along with the SHSH blob in a safe place. Once a bootrom level exploit is found for A5 devices, you can go back and stitch these together.

You can then restore using your stitched IPSW file by utilizing PwnedDFU mode and the Custom IPSW option in RedSn0w.

Have you protected your jailbreak? If not, what are you waiting for?