Dr Saeed Reyman, left, and Professor David Glynn at Flinders, Tonsley.
Wide-ranging use of smart technologies is raising global agricultural production but international researchers warn this digital-age phenomenon could reap a crop of another kind – cybersecurity attacks.
Complex IT and math modelling at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, Aix-Marseille University, France and Flinders University in South Australia, has highlighted the risks in a new article in the open access journal Sensors.
“Smart sensors and systems are used to monitor crops, plants, the environment, water, soil moisture, and diseases,” says lead author Professor Abel Alahmadi from King Abdulaziz University.
“The transformation to digital agriculture would improve the quality and quantity of food for the ever-increasing human population, which is forecast to reach 10.9 billion by 2100.”
This progress in production, genetic modification for drought-resistant crops, and other technologies is prone to cyber-attack – particularly if the ag-tech sector doesn’t take adequate precautions like other corporate or defence sectors, researchers warn.
Flinders University researcher Dr Saeed Rehman says the rise of internet connectivity and smart low-power devices has facilitated the shift of many labour-intensive food production jobs into the digital domain – including modern techniques for accurate irrigation, soil and crop monitoring using drone surveillance.
“However, we should not overlook security threats and vulnerabilities to digital agriculture, in particular possible side-channel attacks specific to ag-tech applications,” says Dr Rehman, an expert in cybersecurity and networking.
“Digital agriculture is not immune to cyber-attack, as seen by interference to a US watering system, a meatpacking firm, wool broker software and an Australian beverage company.”
“Extraction of cryptographic or sensitive information from the operation of physical hardware is termed side-channel attack,” adds Flinders co-author Professor David Glynn.
“These attacks could be easily carried out with physical access to devices, which the cybersecurity community has not explicitly investigated.”
The researchers recommend investment into precautions and awareness about the vulnerabilities of digital agriculture to cyber-attack, with an eye on the potential serious effects on the general population in terms of food supply, labour and flow-on costs.
Original Article: Food cyber attacks forecast
More from: Flinders University | King Abdulaziz University | Aix-Marseille University
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Cyber attacks on food production
- Verizon DBIR: Basic Security Gaffes Underpin Bumper Crop of Breaches
MOVEit drove a big chunk of the increase, but social engineering and failure to patch led to a doubling of data breaches since 2023, said Verizon Business.
- The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Transcript
Q3 2024 Earnings Call Transcript April 30, 2024 The Clorox Company misses on earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $-0.00041 EPS, expectations were $1.33. The Clorox Company isn’t one of the 30 most ...
- Kenyan forces are about to land in Haiti — with nowhere clear to stay
PROBING ISRAEL’S ACTIONS: A group of lawyers is calling on President JOE BIDEN to halt military aid to Israel, arguing that its actions in Gaza do not comply with U.S. and international humanitarian ...
- AI attacks “the main cybersecurity concern” for businesses across sectors
Ahead of the 'Tackling 2024’s Cybersecurity Challenges' webinar, David Bicknell discusses AI and the evolving threat landscape.
- Defending Your Supply Chain From Cyber Threats
The implementation of best practices for supply chain security is a critical step in mitigating cyber risks. By Spencer Starkey ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Cyber attacks on food production
[google_news title=”” keyword=”cyber attacks on food production” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Digital agriculture
- Pakistan’s NFIS initiative leverages digital identity for financial inclusion
Pakistan introduced the National Financial Inclusion Strategyin May 2015 as part of its drive to promote digital banking and economic inclusion.
- Beware The Deepfake: How To Safeguard Animal Agriculture’s Reputation
Livestock producers, their supply chain allies and commodity groups should be on the lookout as the threat of deepfake videos looms large.
- Greenberg budget plan slashes funding for Louisville conservation district, agriculture office
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Funding for prominent agriculture and conservation efforts in Louisville was slashed in Mayor Craig Greenberg’s city budget plan – a move advocates say would effectively end ...
- New digital Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool launches nationwide
Important nutrients for soil health and crop production, phosphorous and potassium are key in commonly applied fertilizers. The new web-based FRST tool provides critical phosphorus and potassium soil ...
- UK agriculture department slammed for paper pushing despite tech splurges
Defra is counting contractors like sheep The UK agriculture department is "working towards" getting consultant and contractor numbers down to less than a quarter of its tech and digital transformation ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Digital agriculture
[google_news title=”” keyword=”digital agriculture” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]