During the last years, people have been creating complex devices. The network of the Internet of Things (IoT) reveals incredible opportunities. At the same time, we know about negligence in IoT cybersecurity.
New technology – new IoT cybersecurity
Whenever you adopt new technology, it arises an excuse for exploiting a new field. In many cases, our behavior generates misunderstandings and data losses. An experienced hacker with sufficient investment will always find a weak spot. Collected data contain a means of information that is a treasure for cybercriminals. We have to confess that cyber attacks still appear. If we admit that IoT devices can be vulnerable, we can make a significant step forward.
In agriculture, the application of smart farming activates technology. The concept of precision farming is comparatively new. Their primary goal is to make cultivation correctly. Farmers know everything about risk management, crop growth, seed increase, climate, planning cycles. Though, the security topics never bothered anyone. In many cases, there was no protection for the collected data.
There are different threats: access to services, personal privacy fields, restrictive information, and IP. Even if the raw data is not robust on its own, it can be used to correlate information from other sources. It can be possible to identify potential volumes, affect the accuracy expectations or create logistics disruption.
Massive integration of insecure IoT devices
The farming has been in the transformation from paper to digital records. Nowadays farmers integrate sensors and devices almost in any process, but the IoT cybersecurity issues are not their primary interest. Unfortunately, they are not concerned that it can be hazardous and it can put people’s lives at risk.
A device cost and functionality are the main factors for every farmer. As long as the machine works, the farmer is pleased, the manufacturer is fine, too. However, no one within this chain takes the security thoughtfully. Growers buy monitors or thermostats without any IoT cybersecurity protection or update possibilities on board. Usually, communities replace these devices less frequently, after ten years or more. So we can certainly say that these devices are vulnerable. As a result, the agriculture industry has recently become a target for many cyber-attacks.
Conclusion
In any new sphere, we will have highly skilled people with the motivation to exploit it for personal profit. Or just for fun! Nevertheless, technological progress has never stopped. And the next steps in agriculture evolution are inevitable. IoT devices bring numbers of opportunities to agriculture. An advanced farmers system can provide more precise care for crops. It can produce a big difference in hunger matters. But it is essential to ensure that there will be IoT cybersecurity protection. Every connected farming equipment needs to pass a certification process, like a potentially dangerous device, e.g. cars or medical devices. This certification will help to stop privacy violations, impediments of contracts, and ensure the integrity of network-dependent farming devices.