The threat of ransomware in the food supply chain: a challenge for food defence

Abstract

In the food industry, the level of awareness of the need for fooddefence strategies has accelerated in recent years, in particular, mitigating thethreat of ransomware. During the Covid-19 pandemic there were a number ofhigh-profile organised food defence attacks on the food industry using ransomware,leading to imperative questions over the extent of the sector’s vulnerabilityto cyber-attack. This paper explores food defence through the lens of contemporaryransomware attacks in order to frame the need for an effective ransomware defencestrategy at organisational and industry level. Food defence strategies havehistorically focused on extortion and sabotage as threats, but often in terms ofphysical rather than cyber-related attacks. The globalisation, digitalisation andintegration of food supply chains can increase the level of vulnerability toransomware. Ransomware is an example of an organised food defence threat that canoperationalise both extortion and sabotage, but the perpetrators are remote,non-visible and often anonymous. Organisations need to adopt an effective fooddefence strategy that reduces the risk of a ransomware attack and can enabletargeted and swift action in the event an incident occurs. Further collaborationbetween government and the private sector is needed for the development of effectivegovernance structures addressing the risk of ransomware attacks. The novelty of thisarticle lies in analysing the issue of ransomware attacks from the perspective ofthe food sector and food defence strategy. This study is of potential interest toacademics, policy makers and those working in the industry.