Categorizing Cyber Threats


Each of the scenarios or real-life instances of cyberattacks we’ve encountered so far can be organized into six categories based on the type of cyber threat actor that you can see in the table below.
Adapted by CSKA Canada from the  Canadian Centre for Cyber Security 

How do each of these threat actors relate to agriculture?

Right now, in the opinion of  experts , the most likely motivation behind most cyber incidents is profit-seeking by cyber criminals. But the hog barn ransomware attack we just looked at was an example of an ideologically motivated attack and recent global conflicts where food security has been ‘weaponized' suggest that we should keep an eye on other kinds of motivations, and targets, as well.



How Cyberattacks Impact Farms 

While some elements of cyberattacks are the same, how they impact farmers depends on:
  • Farmer The type of farm.
  • Tractor What farm technology is present.
  • Satellite Antenna What other critical infrastructure the farmers use (communications, energy, IT, transportation systems, water, wastewater, financial services, etc.).

It is reasonable to expect that grain farmers will be impacted differently than dairy farmers, and cattle ranchers will face different hardships than greenhouses growers. For instance, responding to a problem in the hacked environmental control system of a chicken barn that is causing high humidity, lethal temperatures, and poor ventilation is a very different challenge than a cyber incident where farm financial, agricultural and personal information end up in the hands of cyber-criminals.

There are a number of basic prevention practices that can make a big difference but it’s always useful to consider how your specific farm might be vulnerable to different types of cyberattacks.


Agricultural Cyberattack Scenarios

To show a clearer picture of the many ways cybersecurity issues can impact different kinds of farms, let’s explore 3 different threat scenarios that can be generalized to various farm types located across Canada. These scenarios have been crafted from real occurrences of cyberattacks in the agri-food sector, and are based on reporting from US law enforcement agencies ( FBI  and  Department of Homeland Security ).  

As you read through these scenarios it is helpful to ask yourself:
  • Is this something that could happen to me?
  • What would you do in this scenario?
  • How would I prevent this scenario?

1. A large swine operation uses digital technology to collect and manage data about the pigs’ size, weight, health, etc. Generally, there have been no serious animal health concerns on this farm in the last four years.

One day, their data system is hacked by a foreign hacking group. The animal database is then falsified by the hacking group to indicate the presence of a well-known infectious disease. This falsified information is then ‘exposed’ online which causes retail recalls, media headlines, customer complaints, and reputation damage.

Even though the data is false, the amount of time, money, and expertise it would take to prove the absence of the disease would be very damaging. Beyond personal local impacts on the individual farm, later that week, Canadian trade officials are attending a meeting to discuss international trade. The news of the alleged presence of this disease in Canada is a challenge for Canadian negotiators. 

2. A vegetable grower uses soil moisture sensors to determine where and when watering is required.

Recently, the farmer had gotten into a fight with a family member. This farmer uses their home computer for the farm business, so the program that controls the soil moisture sensors and the irrigation system is accessible on the same home computer. The computer is protected by a password known by the farmer and the family members that uses it. The computer program for the soil moisture sensors and the irrigation system is also password protected – with the same password, since that was easier for the farmer to remember.

After the family member left the fight, they went into the house to collect their things before leaving. The next day, the farmer wakes up to find their field is flooded. The farmer checks and sees that the irrigation system has been given false soil moisture readings that suggested that heavy watering was required. This results in substantial product and income loss for the farmer.

3. A greenhouse farm operation uses a subscription-based service for delivering vegetable and  flower boxes to customer’s addresses. People sign up online, input their address and payment information, and choose what they’d like delivered each week or month.

An employee for the greenhouse clicks a link in an email he thinks is from a customer, and without them even knowing, the hacker who sent the email now has access to their computer passwords and programs. The employee has access to all the financial and home address information of all the greenhouse’s clients – and as a result so does the hacker. The hacker sends an email with screenshots of all this information to the greenhouse owner, threatening to release all this private customer data to other hackers on the dark web unless they pay a ransom.


For a more in-depth list of cybersecurity in agriculture threat scenarios, you can read these recent reports produced by the  Department of Homeland Security  and  FBI .



Cyber Threats to Farm Business vs. Other Sectors or the General Public 

Everyone who uses connected devices could become the victim of a malicious cyber exploit. Everyday, people face attempts to hack their phones, emails, and credit cards. These occur usually, but not exclusively, from profit-seeking hackers. While there are many motivations for hacking, money is the most common one. 

Businesses, governments, banks, the energy sector and hospitals also face regular cyberattacks, often at a much larger scale. As these sectors digitized over the decades, they created infrastructure – hardware, software, systems, departments, and dedicated staff – to prevent and respond to cyberattacks. 

In general, the agri-food sector started to digitize its operations and processes relatively later, not to mention the dominant role of small- and medium-sized businesses, like farms, in the sector. As a result, the state of digitization in the agri-food sector is much less uniform than other sectors of the Canadian economy. That means that the sector is less experienced and less prepared to deal with cyber incidents. At the same time, the agri-food sector is a critical infrastructure – just as vital as banks and hospitals – since it produces the food we eat and depend on. 



Benefits of On-Farm Cybersecurity

There are also personal business benefits for considering cybersecurity on your farm. Prevention is always better than the cure. Preventing a cyberattack is always cheaper than responding to one. As the agri-food sector continues to digitize, the likelihood of cyberattack only grows.

The business benefits of developing and maintaining an on-farm information and cybersecurity program are many.

Let's think about the benefits that would come from a having a cybersecurity plan for your farm:
  • Increased trust in your farm operations from vendors, advisors and customers.
  • Money saved from reduced product or data loss from a cyberattack.
  • Money saved from not paying for cybersecurity experts to resolve an attack.
  • Money saved from not appeasing hackers demands.
  • More resilient farm business for the 21st century.
  • Reputational benefits from being a leader (and possibly mentor) in your local community and sector.



Next:  🗝️⁠⁠Practices⁠