The recent spate of high-profile ransomware attacks has caught many off-guard. When it comes to the devastation that hackers can cause to any industry and infrastructure, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Given the ease, anonymity and lucrative payouts, these attacks are certain to become more common, more devastating, and more expensive in the months and years to come. To protect your brand, secure it. The criminals who engage in these attacks, like other criminals, are looking for soft targets and the easiest opportunities.

Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and hackers are developing increasingly sophisticated delivery systems for ransomware. Given the global nature of the food industry, food companies are both highly automated and work across large networks. Software tracks and controls countless critical systems, including things like facility security, microbiological test results, temperature control, regulatory compliance, sanitation, process controls, production line speeds, transportation safety, product traceability, and inventory management and control. Today, nearly every aspect of food production is integrated through online networks. This makes the food industry — and by extension each of us — particularly vulnerable.

Unfortunately, there is no single solution to protect against online threats. The threat matrix is constantly evolving and changing, and criminals are adapting new methods to target and attack their victims. The sophistication of these hackers and apparent ability to operate unheeded in places like Russia and North Korea suggest at least the possibility of tacit state sponsorship of these activities.

However, there are many integrated steps companies can take to address the risks. If they don’t already have one, all companies should immediately convene a cyber security team or committee. This team should be in charge of reviewing and assessing the company’s areas of greatest exposure. This exercise is really quite similar to a hazard analysis for food safety. After identifying the most prevalent cyber-related hazards and risks, the team should also work with third-party experts to identify needed safeguards (or “controls”) to address those risks. Finally, the team should also develop a policy for responding to crisis-type cyber incidents. Companies should not wait until they are compromised to figure out how to respond to an attack; by then, it will be too late.

From an infrastructure standpoint, one critical step is to modernize your network and implement stronger cybersecurity standards. Many companies continue to operate on networks and equipment that are antiquated and relatively easy to breach. While technology acquisitions are expensive, ransomware attacks can be a death sentence for even large companies. New systems should include modalities for detecting and defeating cyber intrusions.

Next, be sure to work to improve software supply chain security. In many cases, cyber attacks are launched through portals from one user to another. This can include suppliers or customers operating on shared networks or through email. You should also ensure that access to any critical systems requires the use of multi-factor authentication, end-point detection and the encryption of data at rest and in transit.

Another step that companies can take to bolster the security of their systems is to adopt Zero Trust Architecture. Rather than conventional “perimeter security,” Zero Trust architecture treats all users as potential threats and prevents access to systems and data until the user has been properly authenticated.

These are just a few of the many steps companies can take to secure themselves against devastating attacks. I strongly recommend that food companies of all sizes to work with experts and take the action necessary to secure your networks against attack.

Safe networks = safe food.

Food safety and cyber security

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