Bad actors armed with AI have kept busy this year attacking critical infrastructure like wastewater pumps and supermarket fridge systems. Attacks on the latter have led to much chaos and even more food spoilage in the last month, but downstream outlets like supermarkets aren’t the only part of agrifood that’s vulnerable.
Closer to the farm gate, the animal-protein industry is now a highly digitized and automated entity, leveraging robotic milking parlors, automated feeders and environmental controls for poultry houses, hatchery management software, swine barn ventilation systems and more.
These systems make production more efficient, but they also turn the protein sector into one giant target for attacks.
“Every connected device is a digital attack surface,” Andrew Rose, BioAg advisor to The Bioeconomy Information Sharing and Analysis Center (BIO-ISAC), tells AgFunderNews.
In sectors like meat and dairy, which rely on connected systems for everything from animal health stats to delivery logistics, downtime has fast and often devastating consequences, he adds.
“A cyber incident during peak production can escalate into a supply chain disruption.”
History shows this to be true. In 2021, meatpacking giant JBS halted operations at 47 sites worldwide and temporarily laid off staff after a ransomware attack.
In 2023, a dairy farmer in Switzerland lost access to vital health information about his cows after a cybercriminals locked his system and demanded $10,000. A calf died in utero as a result, and the farmer had to also euthanize the cow.
What to do: a checklist
Rose has a lengthy list of other possible consequences, from compromised environmental sensors in swine facilities to disrupted SCADA systems that halt refrigeration, slaughter lines, and sanitation cycles.
But he and the BIO-ISAC also emphasize that no business, large or small, is completely powerless here.
“Our adversaries know the weak points and exploit them, but businesses don’t have to be a soft target. Organizations that ask better cybersecurity questions today are well positioned to protect the supply chain and national security.”
Where to begin? The BIO-ISAC offers a checklist of questions producers can ask agtech vendors, tailored to the animal protein sector.
Some of these things apply to all industries, such as basic security and password protection. For example, Rose encourages companies to ask all agtech and equipment vendors whether they can change default passwords, enable multifactor authentication (MFA), and if there are any shared passwords between facilities, integrators, technicians, and support staff.
“Shared accounts eliminate accountability,” notes Rose. “Default passwords remain one of the most common entry points in an agricultural environment, and using MFA can dramatically reduce the risk of credential theft and remote compromise.”
Data security
Data handling and ownership matter in the animal protein sector, where operational data includes sensitive business intelligence, genetics, animal health records, feed formulations, production metrics, logistics information, and supplier relationships, Rose says.
Ask vendors:
- What data does this system collect?
- Where is my data stored (on-site server, cloud, or both)?
- Who owns the data?
- Do you share, monetize, or sell operational data?
- Can I export all my data in a usable format?
- Can I request deletion?
- How long is data retained?
- Who else can access my data (partners, integrators, consultants, subcontractors, AI systems, etc.)?
Network and device security
Many farms, barns, feed mills, hatcheries, and processing facilities still operate on flat networks where operational technology, office systems, security cameras, Wi-Fi devices, and industrial controls all share the same environment. While flat networks are often cheaper and simpler to set up, they lack internal firewalls and other protections, creating a major security risk. An attack on one device (e.g., a security camera) could bring down the whole operation.
“Segmentation reduces the blast radius of a cyber incident,” explains Rose. “Offline functionality helps protect animal welfare, environmental controls, food safety, and continuity of operations during network outages or attacks.”
Ask vendors:
- Is the device encrypted (data in transit and at rest)?
- Can the system operate on a segmented network?
- How does it function if internet access is lost?
- Does it connect automatically to external systems or cloud services?
- Can I restrict outbound and inbound connections?
- Does the equipment require open ports or remote desktop access?
- Does the system support secure remote access methods such as VPNs?
Updates and patch management
In food and agriculture, equipment often remains in production for one to two decades, if not longer. Because unpatched systems are common ransomware targets, long-term security for these machines is critical.
Ask vendors:
- How are updates delivered?
- Are updates automatic or manual?
- Can updates be tested before deployment?
- How long will you support this product?
- What is your average response time to critical vulnerabilities?
- Do you notify customers when vulnerabilities are discovered?
- What happens if older hardware can no longer receive updates?
Incident response and liability
By adopting connected technologies, operators inherit some of their vendors’ supply-chain risk, says Rose. From the outset, it’s important to ask them:
- How quickly will you notify me of a breach?
- Do you have a documented incident response plan?
- Who is liable if your system causes downtime, animal loss, production loss, food safety issues, regulatory penalties, or equipment damage?
- Do you carry cyber insurance?
- Do you subcontract services such as cloud hosting, remote diagnostics, software development, or data processing?
- Have you experienced a cybersecurity incident before?
Access control and vendor permissions
Remote diagnostics are increasingly common across livestock production, processing, refrigeration, feed systems, ventilation controls, and industrial automation. Remote access without oversight creates unnecessary operational exposure.
Ask vendors:
- Does your staff have remote access to my equipment?
- Can I see logs showing who accessed the system and when?
- Can I disable remote access?
- Are technicians required to use individual accounts?
- Is remote access temporary or permanent?
- Are third-party contractors monitored and logged?
- Can access be restricted by location, time, or role?
Interoperability and end-of-life planning
Contingencies for if and when a technology provider changes ownership, merges, or fails are important. Vendor lock-in, combined with poor security support, also creates “long-term operational risk throughout the protein supply chain,” says Rose.
Ask vendors:
- Is the system compatible with other brands and platforms?
- Is the equipment locked to your cloud ecosystem?
- What happens if you stop supporting the product?
- If your company goes out of business, will the equipment continue functioning?
- Can I maintain local control without internet connectivity?
- Will replacement parts and software still be available in 5–10 years?
Supply chain and third-party risk
Animal agriculture depends on a highly interconnected ecosystem of vendors, integrators, nutrition providers, transportation companies, processors, veterinarians, laboratories, and logistics systems. A compromise in one connected partner can create cascading disruptions across the broader food and agriculture supply chain.
Ask vendors:
- Do you assess the cybersecurity posture of your suppliers and subcontractors?
- Do external partners have access to operational systems?
- What happens if one of your vendors is breached?
Operational continuity and animal welfare
Cybersecurity in animal agriculture is an operational resilience and animal welfare issue. Facilities should be prepared to operate safely during prolonged outages or degraded network conditions.
Ask vendors:
- What manual overrides exist if systems fail?
- Can feeding, watering, ventilation, or refrigeration, etc. continue during outages?
- Are backup systems tested regularly?
- Is there a written continuity plan for cyber incidents?
- Are employees trained on cyber-related operational disruptions?
- How quickly can operations recover without cloud connectivity?
Employee awareness and insider risk
Technology is only as secure as the people using it, says Rose. Human error remains a leading cause of cyber incidents across critical infrastructure sectors.
Ask internally:
- Are employees trained to recognize phishing emails and scams?
- Are contractors and temporary workers trained on cyber hygiene?
- Are USB devices restricted or monitored?
- Do employees know who to contact during a suspected cyber incident?
- Are terminated employees immediately removed from systems?
Want to share your own experience or tips? Drop us a line.
Further reading:
🌾 It’s time to take action on cybersecurity in agrifood
🌾 Executive impersonation threats are everywhere in agriculture. This is how to respond
🌾 Recent agrifood cyberattacks are ‘a wakeup call’ for the industry as ransomware incidences increase
