Sen. Cotton wants to crack down on cybersecurity threats to US agriculture

 Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., will introduce a bill Thursday to strengthen cybersecurity protections to combat cyberattacks against critical food infrastructure sectors.

The legislation, called the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act, would increase protections for both government and private entities against cyber threats.

"America's adversaries are trying to exploit any advantage they can against us – including targeting vital industries like agriculture," Cotton said in a statement. “Congress must work with the Department of Agriculture to identify and defeat these cybersecurity vulnerabilities.”

“This legislation will ensure we are prepared to protect the supply chains that our farmers and all Americans rely on,” he said.

If passed, the bill would mandate biennial cybersecurity studies on the agriculture and food sectors and reporting to Congress on the findings. It also requires annual cross-sector crisis simulations for food-related cyber emergencies involving multiple government agencies.

The bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. It said in a statement that protecting farms and food security against cyber attacks is "a critical component of our national security."

The bill already has the support of several agricultural groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, North American Millers Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, USA Rice and Agricultural Retailers Association. ,

Republican Representative Brad Finstad of Minnesota and Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin of Michigan will introduce companion legislation in the House.

This month, the Aliquippa Water Authority in western Pennsylvania became the victim of an international cyberattack along with other US water utilities, with federal officials saying Iranian-backed hackers were specifically targeting a piece of equipment because it was Israeli-made.

The danger, officials said, is that hackers are gaining control of automated devices to shut down pumps that supply drinking water or contaminating drinking water by reprogramming automated chemical treatments. In addition to Iran, other potentially hostile geopolitical rivals, including China, are viewed by US officials as a threat.

Last year, agriculture giant Dole disclosed to federal regulators the impact of a ransomware attack, a type of cyberattack that uses malware to lock a victim's information until a ransom is paid, causing the company to face a 10.5 There was a loss of million dollars.