Chicago – December 23, 2024
Cybersecurity is becoming a growing concern in American agriculture, with experts warning about the risks of cyberattacks on vital farming equipment and infrastructure.
As technology advances, systems like harvesters, grain storage, and even freight-train networks are vulnerable to hackers, including potential threats from foreign nations like China.
Jose-Marie Griffiths, President of Dakota State University, explained that states in the heartland, like South Dakota, are becoming key players in addressing these issues.
With leaders such as Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who will chair the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, focusing on these threats, there’s a greater awareness of the risks to agriculture.
Senator Rounds pointed out that the agriculture sector relies heavily on infrastructure such as water systems, electricity, and communication networks, all of which are connected to the internet and can be hacked.
He noted that foreign actors, especially China, have tried to infiltrate rural telecom systems, which could give them access to critical communication networks.
Drones, which are increasingly used in farming, also pose a cybersecurity risk, as they could be hacked to cause disruption. As farming technology grows, the need for strong cybersecurity measures in agriculture is more urgent than ever.
