FBI Says Ag Industry is Target of Foreign Hackers

The Federal Bureau of Investigation says the ag industry is facing several national security threats and the fallout could be catastrophic.

Eugene Kowel is the special agent in charge of the Omaha FBI Field Office. "We're worried about the threat from cyber-criminal actors hijacking our farming operations, our agricultural operations, our food processing facilities, ransomware, really halting operations."

Speaking with reporters during the FBI's Ag Threats Symposium recently he said countries like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran can steal data from the cloud gathered by farms and ag businesses. "And they can use that technology in their own farming operation. They can manipulate the market. They can start to impact how we farm. They start to know what our supply issues are, what resources we need. They can start to impact those. So, there's a whole host of national security issues."

Kowel says hackers or other adversaries shutting down ag operations during times of conflict is another real threat and always a concern.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Many times, I have stated that agriculture and our food distribution system is truly a strategic national interest. I recall a conversation decades ago when a person from Central America said, “Give me a dozen people and I can disrupt your water and food supply.” Since that time, it has been a topic of concern, one I have addressed with legislators and our military at both state and national levels. Particularly in today’s cyber world we should be on high alert. And the fact that the FBI recognizes how dangerous this could be in a time of conflict should sound the alarms even louder. We can never take lightly the role our farmers and ranchers play in keeping our country supplied with life’s basics. That’s another reason we designed CAD and AgPack® - to assist them with their vital role to keep our nation strong!