"International Experts Forecast Food Cyber Risks for AG-Tech"

Researchers at Flinders University in Australia, in collaboration with King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia and Aix-Marseille University in France, have identified cybersecurity risks in the use of smart ag-tech. According to King Abdulaziz University lead author Professor Abel Alahmadi, smart sensors and systems are utilized to monitor crops, plants, the environment, water, soil moisture, and diseases. The transition to digital agriculture will increase the quality and quantity of food available to the world's growing population, which is expected to reach 10.9 billion by 2100. However, the researchers warn that this advancement in production, genetic modification for drought-resistant crops, and other technology is vulnerable to cyberattack, especially if the ag-tech sector does not take necessary safeguards like other corporate or defense sectors. Dr. Saeed Rehman of Flinders University says the rise in Internet connectivity and smart low-power devices has facilitated the digitalization of many labor-intensive food production jobs, including modern techniques for accurate irrigation, soil, and crop monitoring using drone surveillance, but we cannot disregard digital agriculture security threats, particularly potential side-channel attacks specifically against ag-tech applications. This article continues to discuss the researchers' study on cybersecurity threats and side-channel attacks against digital agriculture. 

Food Magazine reports "International Experts Forecast Food Cyber Risks for AG-Tech"