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Farmers can protect against cyber attacks

An attorney who chairs his firm’s cyber security and data privacy practice group says ransomware attacks are coming from sophisticated criminal enterprises but farmers CAN protect their businesses and those they work with.

Tedrick Housh with Lathrop GPM of Kansas City says attackers are going for the weakest link in the chain, “So, the smaller you are the less likely you are to have all of these measures in place or be able to afford them but it also makes you a bigger target. So if you are an avenue to big pockets you’re more likely to be the subject of an attack.”

He says farmers ARE sophisticated now, even small farmers, “So, farmers are going to have a computer system that’s up and running. Whatever that IT relationship is, I would start there and just ask questions about how are we protected, who would you recommend we look at to improve (?)”

Housh recommends looking into cyber insurance, “Because wherever you have your insurance, cyber liability insurance is usually part of the package and one to consider and that provides some solutions.”

He says adopting multi-factor password authentication and using a VPN, virtual private network, can help further insulate farmers from cyber attacks.

Housh spoke at the recent Annual Legal Update of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.

Interview with Tedrik Housh ^

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