With the world becoming increasingly connected and digitized, cyber security is a growing concern. Criminals are targeting retailers, municipalities, healthcare providers and critical infrastructure – and as the agriculture sector increases its reliance on sensors, data collection and online connectivity, it is also becoming a target.

In the agri-food sector, cyber security threats come from three main areas.

Opportunistic cyber criminals look for the so-called low-hanging fruit and choose targets that will get them the maximum return for the lowest time investment. State-sponsored hacking teams from other countries actively work to compromise sensors and devices across the entire food supply chain, from farms to food processing and ports. Activists resorted to cyber security tactics in Ontario for the first time in 2023 to target a farm.

Make sure your hardware and software are kept up to date and that you’re using strong passwords that aren’t shared between employees. Remove access from employees who no longer work for you.

Back up your most important information regularly and store it in a safe place that is not connected to your main systems.

Never use public WiFi to check your on-farm systems when you’re away. Instead, buy and use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or connect to your monitoring apps using the cellular data on your device.

Don’t click on un-verified links in emails or text messages, even if they look legitimate, and never reveal sensitive business or personal information to unsolicited callers. It pays to be suspicious – always check back with a caller who says they are from a financial services provider.

Know which devices, sensors, computers, servers, mobile devices, automated equipment, environmental control systems, financial systems, and other hardware in your on-farm networks are connected and know who to call if something goes wrong.