According to experts, it is crucial to acknowledge the susceptibility of modern farm technology to cyberattacks, as these attacks may expose the supply chain to greater risks. To address these vulnerabilities, some farms have implemented additional security measures, such as using this service for id verification, to safeguard against potential threats from hackers.
The University of Cambridge issued a report noting that automatic crop sprayers, drones, and robotic harvesters are susceptible to an attack. BBC says both the United Kingdom’s government and the FBI are warning that the cyber-attack threat is growing.
John Deere says it’s working to fix any weak spots in its software. James Johnson, Deere’s chief information security officer, says the company has been working with several ethical hackers to find vulnerabilities.
CNH Industrial is also working to improve its security posture. Benjamin Turner, chief operating officer at a British company called Agrimetrics, says, “Hacking into one tractor can upset a single farmer’s profitability. Hacking into a fleet of tractors can suddenly give you the power to affect yields in whole areas of a country.”
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)