Many cattle producers already plan for negative events that could hurt their operations such as drought , wildfire , heat or storms , but the increased use of technology brings the new threat of cyberattacks . According to internet security company Malwarebytes , cyberattacks against the agricultural sector were at a increased 607 % in 2020 , making agriculture the 7th most targeted industry in the U . S . 1 This increase is caused by a number of factors , but at the very least , bad actors have noticed how important agricultural entities are to food security and how companies , farms , and ranches may not have the same resources to dedicate to cybersecurity that large businesses have .

The Threat

One tactic hackers favor is called “ ransomware ,” which involves gaining unauthorized access to a victim ’ s digital files and holding them for ransom unless the victim pays a large sum of money . Often , ransomware attackers will threaten to delete all the files or post files publicly in an attempt to shame the victim . According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ), the average ransom demand doubled between 2019 and 2020 , peaking at $ 23 million . In 2020 , the FBI received 2,474 reports of ransomware with losses reaching $ 29.1 million . 2

In January 2021 , a ransomware attack on one farm resulted in losses of $ 9 million . 3 In May 2021 , an attack on JBS forced the meat processor to shutdown operations , kicking off a domino effect that reduced the number of cattle being slaughtered in the U . S ., drove up beef prices for consumers , and left producers with fewer options to have their cattle processed . 4 Attacks in 2021 also targeted a U . S . bakery company , a beverage company , fruit processors , and a feed and grain cooperative in the Midwest .

Although larger companies are frequently a target for hackers , even individual farms and ranches have fallen victim to ransomware attacks launched by radical animal rights activist groups . This past spring , a Canadian hog farm was attacked with ransomware but , instead of demanding money , the attackers demanded the farmer publicly admit to mistreating livestock . 5 This is a new tactic , but groups like the Animal Agriculture Alliance that track activist attacks on agriculture say activists are trying to learn more about digital resources .

“ They want to learn as much about us to be able to gain information on what we ’ re doing ,” said Abby Korney , the Alliance ’ s manager of issues and engagement . “ I think remembering that we need to treat our personal information just like it ’ s business information , to keep things locked down , to be wary of people reaching out to us , even small things like that will help protect us from activists .”

Another target for cyberattacks is financial information . With many producers utilizing credit from banks and agricultural lenders , protecting financial accounts should be another priority . David Guilmette , the chief information security officer of AgWest Farm Credit , said account takeovers are a leading threat to Farm Credit customers .

“ We ’ ve seen a lot of customers lose control or access to their email accounts ,” Guilmette said .

Once attackers are in an email account , they can send malicious emails to other contacts , make fake invoices or requests for money , and steal other personal information .

The Solutions

To strengthen your farm or ranch against these types of attacks , experts with the Animal Agriculture Alliance and Farm Credit recommend producers follow a few key tips :

1 . Create Strong Passwords An easy way for hackers to access your computer system is if you have a weak password . A strong password should be at least 12 characters long and include a combination of uppercase letters , lowercase letters , numbers and symbols . A memorable phrase is also a good way to create a strong password that you can remember but is difficult for a hacker to guess . For example , a password like W3sternR @ nching2o23 ! provides security while being easier to remember than a random string like HYT-56 # -11UW- % 12 . You should also avoid using the same password for multiple services .

2 . Use Multi-Factor Authentication Many services , like email accounts or online banking , will help you set up multi-factor authentication . This means that in addition to entering a password , you might receive a code texted to your cell phone that you enter before logging into an account . This strengthens security by making sure that even if an attacker gets your password , your accounts are still secure because you have access to your phone .

3 . Be Vigilant with Unknown Emails Always be wary of unknown emails and do not click on links or open attachments that come from

12 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN DIRECTIONS 2023