Take These Steps To Build a Successful Cybersecurity Plan for Your Agribusiness
Cybersecurity has been in the headlines in recent months. The Colonial Pipeline hacked and shutdown, and JBS USA shuttered by hackers affecting the nation’s meat supply. Cyber experts warn that critical infrastructure, and even the food supply, is vulnerable to being targeted by hackers seeking valuable information or ransoms to get back online.
But what about a small farm business? Too small potatoes to be a target, right? According to Lauri May Baker, an Associate Professor of Agricultural Education and Communication with UF/IFAS, think again. No company or individual should shrug off online threats and should take precautions to avoid being a victim.
“The first best practice is to develop a cybersecurity plan,” Baker says. “Think about where you are online and where your threat issues might be.”
Cybersecurity can be complicated, but the Federal Communications Commission has a planning guide specific for small businesses. Take some time to read it and create a plan for your business.
Recently, Baker posted a blog with other best practices to help secure your online business presence.
Here are some key takeaways for building a solid cybersecurity plan.
1. Educate yourself and your employees about cybersecurity.
• Gather your employees for an initial discussion about the importance of cybersecurity and how you plan to address it.
• Make it everyone’s job to be a part of the cybersecurity planning process. This may require a shift in culture for your business if this hasn’t been a priority before. Like any culture change, this will take time, but it is an important part of making your business secure from cyber threats.
2. Use anti-malware software and keep it updated.
• There are many options available online. Explore your options and make sure you have anti-malware software on all work devices. Make sure you have all computers set to update the software automatically.
3. Store or backup your data using cloud storage.
• Reputable cloud storage vendors have high security standards and built-in safeguards to protect your data from loss due to a cyber attack.
• Cloud storage is often more affordable for small businesses than investing in your own hardware to store and backup your business data.
• Cloud storage solutions (like Dropbox or OneDrive) also include tools that make file sharing and collaboration easier.
• If file sharing and collaboration are not needed, there are affordable cloud backup services that can maintain online backups of your data in case of catastrophic loss.
For three more helpful steps, continue reading at GrowingProduce.com.
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