Cybersecurity: A guide for greenhouse cybersecurity

It can be easy to think of cybercrime as something that happens to other people in other businesses, but it’s not limited to specific industries like the financial sector. That’s especially true as more businesses increase their reliance on technology, with more of their operations and equipment connected to the internet. In the horticultural industry, we’re seeing several examples of greenhouses adopting new technology to improve standards — from growing and harvesting efficiencies to customer communications.

More connected operations and online services may introduce added risk though. In fact, as recently as this past year, the FBI shared a warning to agricultural business owners about the increase in cyberattacks.

So, what can you do to protect your business? Let’s take a closer look.

Types of Cyber Risks

Before you can take steps to protect your business, it’s helpful to understand the types of cyber risks that exist, and how hackers can gain access to sensitive information.

• Ransomware: Ransomware is malicious software that restricts access to files — usually by encryption. Cyber criminals can threaten to delete, share publicly, or leave the data encrypted if the victim doesn’t pay the ransom. Because any device that connects to the internet can be affected by ransomware, this type of breach has quickly become one of the largest threats to growers.

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Image by jcomp on Freepik

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