Cyber-attacks against the key infrastructure sectors could be damaging to the economy of the US to a large extent. A larger percentage of the Food and Agricultura sector is privately owned (Brenner, 2017). Crippling the sector would severely damage the economy of the nation causing panic and massive protests among the civilians. Farmers’ concerns are on the new vulnerabilities with farming equipment. Terrorists across the world have been researching on ways to ensure they cause a denting damage to the US. Therefore, this sector just like any other critical infrastructure sectors is a target for an attack hence mitigations should be put in place to ensure risks of attacks are minimized.
An example of a cyber-attack to a key infrastructure sector is the “Notpetya” which led to the paralysis of numerous corporations and government agencies in Copenhagen. The fact that the Food and Agricultural industry rely on data with connected devices opens an avenue for a risk of severe vulnerabilities in the sector (Moss, 2018). The agriculture space has a lot of data compiled that aid in numerous agricultural activities hence making it a target for an attack. Food and agriculture industry use technology to create value, therefore, it is easier for an evil doer to take advantage to exploit it for their selfish gains.
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There would be generally negative impacts due to critical infrastructure failures (Macaulay, 2008). Security, economy and the basic human needs would be greatly affected. In the Food and agriculture industry, failure to the sector would result in farmers not having adequate information on the seasons and the weather forecasts to make arrangements for the various farming seasons. Food production would also be low in the event of an attack on this infrastructure.
References
Brenner, Joel. (2017). Keeping America Safe: Toward More Secure Networks for Critical Sectors. MIT Center for International Studies. https://internetpolicy.mit.edu/reports/Report-IPRI-CIS-CriticalInfrastructure-2017-Brenner.pdf .
Macaulay, Tyson. (2008). Critical Infrastructure: Understanding Its Component Parts, Vulnerabilities, Operating Risks, and Interdependencies. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Moss, Michael. (2018) “Cyber Threats to Our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure.” Statement for the Record, Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. August 21, 2018
