Agriculture saw the largest year-over-year increase in cyberattacks of any industry
TL;DR
Agriculture experienced the highest year-over-year increase in cyberattacks globally at 101%, with recent incidents affecting major U.S. companies like Ahold Delhaize USA and United Natural Foods. The rise in advanced agricultural technology, such as drones and computerized systems, has created vulnerabilities that attackers exploit to disrupt production.
Source: Wisconsin Public Radio
A recent study from Check Point found that agriculture saw the largest year-over-year increase in cyberattacks — 101 percent — of any industry in the world. The industry has seen multiple recent high-profile attacks on large companies in the U.S. Last year, a cyberattack on Ahold Delhaize USA — the parent company of Stop & Shop — led to limited inventory at some stores. United Natural Foods, a grocery wholesaler which supplies Whole Foods and a number of smaller grocers, had to completely shut down its online ordering platform after a cyberattack in June. As agriculture technology like drones and computerized irrigation become more advanced, that creates an opportunity for bad actors to gain access to controls and shut down production. Full Story