Implications of Cyberbiosecurity in Advanced Agriculture

Abstract

The world is currently undergoing a rapid digital transformation sometimes referred to as the fourth industrial revolution. During this transformation, it is increasingly clear that many scientific fields are not prepared for this change. One specific area is agriculture. As the sector which creates global food supply, this critical infrastructure requires detailed assessment and research via newly developed technologies (Millett et al, 2019; Peccoud et al, 2018) . Despite its fundamental significance to modern civilization, many aspects of industrial agriculture have not yet adapted to the digital world. This is evident in the many vulnerabilities currently present within agricultural systems, as well as the lacking and fragmented nature of policy dictating cybersecurity stances– the field which intersects both cybersecurity and biosecurity to protect several areas within life sciences (Murch et al, 2018; Duncan et al, 2019; U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2022) . These looming oversights create dangers to advanced agricultural systems, which in turn poses risk to businesses, economies, and individuals. While there are various methods to reduce these risk factors, they ultimately depend on the careful consideration of cyberbiosecurity (CBS) by all involved. This includes the system developers, equipment engineers, and especially the end users - all of us. A conscientious team-effort can work to diminish risks and ultimately provide a safer environment for advanced agriculture and all who depend on it. This analysis explores numerous vulnerabilities within the system of advanced agriculture, discusses potential solutions to the escalating risks they present, and considers the achievable future of an advanced agricultural system which further implements the role of CBS.