They’re often tucked in the corner of the shop, sitting stoically in a paper-filled office. Or they are left open, charging — always charging – on the kitchen table. These are the computers that run America’s farms.
A REAL THREAT
Through my decades of reporting, farm visits and family dinners, I’ve seen many of these machines. Some feature coffee stains or grease-smudged keyboards, while others are dressed in a facade that harkens back to the mid-90’s and the beginning of the cyber thriller movie genre.
Indeed, farmers hold these “high-tech” machines in esteemed regard. These machines are vital to our business, but for many non-digital natives, understanding the inner workings, including security threats, can be hard lessons to learn.
Globally, more than 5 billion people are online. If you consider devices, or the Internet of Things, there are another 14.4 billion active connections. A wide web of criminals can capture billions of dollars from unsuspecting and untrained users.
Protect Your Farm: Don’t Let Cyberattacks Hold Your Data for Ransom
A FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum says last year, his state networks saw 4.5 billion cyber-attacks. While leaders have spent the time and money to handle those intrusions, they recognized the importance of ongoing education. Today the state requires every student be taught computer and cyberscience.
“If a fourth grader is doing a project online with a teacher, both the teacher and the student know what they need to know to be safe online,” Burgum says. “This is all the way up through Ph.D. programs protecting research data from foreign actors.”
Shawn Riley, North Dakota’s chief information officer, helped implement the curriculum. He says it’s not just a big city issue any longer.
“We taught 2,500 teachers, we deployed it to 181 school districts and 11 universities, and we did it in under a year,” Riley says.
Can you sense the urgency?
LEARNING NEVER STOPS
Personal computers have been part of our lives for 40 years, and almost all of us walk around with a “supercomputer” in our pocket. Technology has created a wonderfully connected and informative world.
Soon, those farm business monuments grinding away in the corner of a shop will give way to new management technology. I am sure, as I age, I’ll need my children or grandchildren to come over and explain it.
3 TIPS TO LOWER YOUR FARM’S CYBERATTACK RISKS
Have an incident response plan and backup your computer’s hard drives often.
Report cyberattacks to www.ic3.gov. Only 10% of cyberattacks are ever reported.
Consider cybersecurity insurance to cover financial losses and assist in remediation.
Clinton Griffiths is a TV newsman, turned magazine editor, with a passion for good stories. He believes the best life lessons can be found down a dirt road.
