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Why Information Sharing Is Critical for Food Companies to Combat Cyber Attacks

The recently launched Food and Ag-ISAC aims to collectively mitigate cyber attacks on the industry, with help from companies like Bunge, Cargill, Conagra, Corteva, PepsiCo, and Tyson.

Plant Cybersecurity Getty 1201992144
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The food and agriculture industry hasn’t traditionally been mentioned as a cybersecurity target like the banking, energy, and healthcare industries, which have been (and continue to be) hit hard by ransomware and other threats, resulting in millions of dollars lost, and in some cases the closure of facilities due to the financial impact of those incidents.

But recent attacks to brands like JBS, Schreiber Foods, Sysco, Dole, and others, has prompted an updated version of the food and agriculture information sharing and analysis center (Food and Ag-ISAC) which originally existed from 2002 to 2008, but was discontinued due in part to a lack of interest by companies to participate and share information with each other.

More than a decade later, it’s clear the food and agriculture industry is in the crosshairs of cybercriminals, so the 2023 version of the Food and Ag-ISAC—which launched a few weeks ago—operates as its own entity and not a subgroup, and has the initial backing of food giants Bunge, Cargill, Conagra, Corteva, PepsiCo, and Tyson.

   See how cyberattacks in food manufacturing can impact the supply chain.

Those at the Food and Ag-ISAC say the organization provides curated threat intelligence so companies can identify attacks, incidents, and threat indicators enabling them to share and deploy effective mitigations to protect their companies and the entire food and agriculture sector. The Food and Ag-ISAC is the only information-sharing group dedicated to serving the food and agriculture industry, where connectivity and technology are increasingly integrated into that sector.

We sat down with Scott Algeier, executive director of IT-ISAC, to find out why the Food and Ag-ISAC was resurrected and given a prominent place under the IT-ISAC umbrella in 2023, and what has changed in food and agriculture cybersecurity since 2008.

PROFOOD WORLD: Why is the time right to bring back the Food and Ag-ISAC?

ALGEIER: Having a special interest subgroup within the IT-ISAC isn’t the same as having a designated ISAC for the food and agriculture industry. Over the last 18 months, there’s been increased recognition by the food and agriculture sector that they were one of the few without a designated ISAC. Within member companies we have seen renewed interest, so we figured this was a good time to launch a Food and Ag-ISAC and grow it with a focus on sustained success this time.

Food and Ag-ISACThe new logo for the updated and expanded Food and Ag-ISAC.IT-ISAC

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