By Ethan Wallace, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
When most people consider what could pose a risk to Ontario farm businesses, they likely think of extreme weather or commodity market fluctuations. But in today’s connected world, one of the fastest-growing risks is one we can’t see until it’s too late: cyber attacks.
Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated, and the reality is that it’s no longer a question of if you will face a cyber security problem, but when. Although I’m writing specifically from the perspective of the agriculture sector as a dairy farmer and Vice President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, all of us are at risk, regardless of where we are or what we do.
From real-looking emails and spoofed phone numbers to text messages that seem legitimate, scams are harder than ever to spot. And when something goes wrong, the costs can be staggering — not just financially, but also in terms of lost time, stress, and damaged relationships with customers or suppliers.
Farms and agri-businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyber security attacks.
First, most farms are small, independent businesses with limited IT resources….
