Ransomware attacks on Food and Agriculture sector could intensify

In the coming weeks, criminals using ransomware may target businesses within the Food & Agriculture sectors, with the severity of these cyberattacks likely to escalate, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC).

The report, titled “Farm to Table Ransomware Realities,” highlights that ransomware attacks surged by 27% in 2024, with 212 incidents reported, compared to 164 in 2023.

These malware attacks have put both customers and partners of affected companies at significant risk, severely impacting the agriculture industry. If the gap between supply and demand continues to widen, the United States could face shortages of consumables, potentially leading to an artificial famine due to the slowdown in supply chains caused by attack-related downtime.

Unpredictable weather patterns across the country are already disrupting the food supply chain, and digital attacks could exacerbate these issues.

Security experts note that a new ransomware group, RansomHub, emerged in 2024 and is targeting the food sector most aggressively. Linked to the notorious LockBit gang, RansomHub could cause serious damage if the IT infrastructure within the Food and Agriculture sectors isn’t properly upgraded.

ISAC also reported that the Akira ransomware group is targeting the nation’s consumable IT assets, exploiting vulnerabilities or flaws in software-based management systems.

Additionally, research from cybersecurity firm Huntress found that ransomware attackers typically take an average of 17 hours to encrypt systems after infiltrating IT networks. Some groups, however, can encrypt databases in just 4-6 hours. The timing of these attacks often depends on the criminals’ primary goal of making money with minimal effort.

With the aid of advanced AI tools, criminals are becoming more sophisticated. Huntress researchers warn that these technologies could reduce the detection and response times of security teams, making it even more challenging to combat ransomware threats effectively.