Cybersecurity

With high liquidity and aging hardware, family farms have become prime targets for hackers. Here is how to secure your data and your land deals.

Farmers routinely handle high-dollar transactions — and the nature of the payments, often through unsecure methods, leaves them susceptible to foul play.

According to USDA, Russian-speaking hackers are the likely suspects. The Office of Personnel Management and two organizations within the Department of Energy also were apparently targeted or breached.

“We rely on the support of farm bill funding and programs to ensure continued U.S. leadership as the provider of the best seed to the world,” said Katy Rainey, Purdue associate professor, at the Senate Ag hearing.