The Food and Ag-ISAC released an updated cybersecurity guide designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) operating across the food and agriculture sector. This comes at a time when ransomware incidents in the sector more than tripled in the first two months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, with similar activity continuing into Q2.
“Nearly 70% of adversaries use stealth and persistence to evade detection, leaving many small and medium-sized businesses vulnerable. Cyber threats don’t discriminate by company size, and neither should cybersecurity preparedness. When small businesses secure themselves, the whole food and ag sector becomes stronger together,” says Jonathan Braley, director of the Food and Ag-ISAC.
Key takeaways:
● 92% used “living off the land” techniques to blend in with normal system activity.
● 88% relied on phishing or spear phishing to breach defenses.
● 70% used tactics that keep them hidden inside networks for long stretches of time.
