The role of cybersecurity in food production

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The role of cybersecurity in food production

The director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture says cybersecurity is becoming a larger concern for the ag industry.

Don Lamb says farmers are becoming more reliant on new technology.

“Part of the price we pay is to keep a more secure system,” he says. “When we think about our data going up into the cloud, our yield information, and everything down to our financial information on the farm is really subject to someone taking that if we don’t have good security systems.”

He tells Brownfield producers feel the impacts of a security breach.

“If a business has a security breach and you’re buying input supplies from that business, you’re going to end up paying a higher cost for that,” he says. “You’re also going to pay a little bit of cost just for safety from that technology.”  

Lamb says protecting the supply chain from cyber threats is critical to ensuring food security.

Brownfield interviewed Lamb during the 2025 Indiana Ag Threats and Security Summit.

AUDIO: Don Lamb, ISDA and Brad Fruth, Beck’s Hybrids