House Republican sounds the alarm on threats to food and agriculture sector

A House Agriculture Committee leader, Rep. Brad Finstad, warns that the increasingly digital U.S. food and agriculture sector faces rising cybersecurity risks, citing examples like GPS-enabled precision agriculture and the 2021 JBS ransomware disruption; he criticizes USDA’s limited direction and funding for sector cybersecurity and highlights bipartisan legislation to mandate a sector-wide threat study and annual cyber exercises, while experts note broader under-resourcing and the administration’s partial steps, underscoring ongoing gaps and the need for greater education and awareness.