Robotic milkers & data-driven herds face invisible threats. Protect your dairy from cyberattacks risking livestock, milk checks, and operations.
Your prize, Holstein, is worth $100,000. Your bulk tank holds three days of milk checks. Your DairyComp records contain a decade of breeding decisions. But while you’re busy protecting your herd from Johne’s, mastitis, and heat stress, an invisible threat lurking could bring your entire operation crashing down faster than a fresh heifer with milk fever. And I guarantee you’re more vulnerable than your weakest teat end during dry-off.
Many dairy producers are dangerously underprepared for cyberattacks, exposing their operations to threats that could devastate their business overnight.
The modern dairy farm isn’t just free stalls and TMR mixers anymore. It’s a complex web of connected technologies – from robotic milkers and automated calf feeders to environmental controllers and DHIA software. This digital transformation has revolutionized efficiency and productivity, but it’s also created a security gap wider than the front of your bunker silo that cybercriminals are increasingly eager to exploit.
Let me be blunt: dairy farms have become prime targets for cyberattacks, and the industry’s response has been inadequate. The FBI now considers agriculture among the top six most targeted industries, with attacks increasing alarmingly. Why? Because we’re vulnerable, time-sensitive, and frankly, most of us haven’t taken this threat seriously enough.
When did you last update the password on your farm’s Wi-Fi network? Still, using your farm name and zip code? You might as well hand over your milk check directly to hackers.
I’ve seen firsthand what happens when these attacks hit. Imagine your DeLaval VMS suddenly shutting down, your Lely Vector feed pusher going haywire, or your entire DairyComp 305 database being held for ransom. This isn’t science fiction – it’s happening to dairy farms across North America right now.
Let’s cut through the tech jargon and get straight to what you need to know to protect your operation. Because in 2025, cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue – it’s as fundamental to farm management as your vaccination protocol, breeding program, and nutrition plan.
The Digital Dairy Farm: Understanding Your Vulnerabilities
The modern dairy operation has undergone a technological revolution that would have made your grandfather’s jaw drop faster than a cow with hardware disease. Today’s farms are increasingly run on bits and bytes as much as blood, sweat, and tears. But each new connected device creates another potential entry point for cybercriminals – like leaving every gate in your perimeter fence open during calving season.
The Connected Cow: More Vulnerable Than You Think
Let’s take inventory of what’s actually at risk on your farm:
Robotic Milking Systems: These sophisticated machines aren’t just mechanical – they’re driven by software that identifies cows through RFID, controls pulsation rates, manages take-off settings, and collects production data. If compromised, attackers could shut down milking operations entirely or manipulate settings that could harm your animals or compromise milk quality – imagine someone remotely changing your pulsation ratio or reducing your wash cycle temperature below pasteurization standards.
Automated Feeding Systems: From precision TMR mixers to individual concentrate dispensers, these systems rely on software to deliver the proper nutrition to the right animals. A cyberattack could disrupt feeding schedules or alter rations, directly impacting production and animal health – like suddenly increasing the grain-to-forage ratio in your high group without warning.
Environmental Controls: The computerized systems managing tunnel ventilation, evaporative cooling, lighting, and other barn conditions are increasingly connected to the internet for remote monitoring and control. Imagine someone remotely turning off your cooling systems during a summer heat wave, sending your THI soaring above 80, or manipulating air quality monitors to mask dangerous ammonia levels.
Herd Management Software: The digital brain of your operation stores everything from health records and breeding data to production metrics and financial information. This treasure trove of data is exactly what cybercriminals want – to encrypt, steal, or manipulate it for financial gain. Your genetic advancement program, meticulously built over generations, could be held hostage with a single click.
IoT Sensors and Wearables: Activity monitors, rumination sensors, boluses, and other devices constantly collect data from your animals. These often connect to networks with minimal security protections – about as secure as a gate latch with baling twine.
Do you still think this doesn’t apply to your operation? Wake up. You’re already vulnerable if you’ve got a smartphone connected to your farm Wi-Fi.
Why Dairy Farms Are Prime Targets
You might be thinking, “Why would hackers bother with my farm? I’m not a bank or a hospital.” Here’s the harsh reality: cybercriminals target dairy farms precisely because they think we’re easy prey. And often, they’re right – like predators picking off the weakest animal in the herd.
Time-Sensitive Operations: The FBI has explicitly identified agricultural operations as prime targets because of their time sensitivity. Dairy farms operate on strict biological schedules, unlike other businesses that might experience a few days of downtime. Cows must be milked regularly, feeding can’t be delayed, and any significant disruption quickly escalates into an animal welfare crisis – like a blocked quarter that can’t wait until Monday for treatment.
Limited Security Resources: Most dairy farms lack dedicated IT security staff or robust cybersecurity budgets. FBI Special Agent Gene Kowel notes, “A lot of producers don’t have a big budget for cybersecurity, and because of that, both cyber criminals and nation/state adversaries see that as a vulnerability they’re more than happy to exploit.” It’s like leaving your medicine cabinet unlocked when you know thieves are in the area.
Increasing Connectivity: The rapid adoption of precision agriculture technologies has created more attack surfaces without corresponding security measures. Every new connected device potentially opens another door for attackers – from your SCR collars to your Nedap heat detection system.
Valuable Data: Your farm generates enormous amounts of useful data – from proprietary genetic information and breeding strategies to production metrics and financial records. This data has significant value- for ransom and on black markets – as precious to your operation as your carefully curated embryo inventory.
Real Threats, Real Consequences: When Cyberattacks Hit the Barn
This isn’t theoretical – dairy farms and processors are already being hit, and the consequences are more devastating than a BTM positive for Mycoplasma. Let me share some real-world examples that should serve as wake-up calls.
The Ontario Dairy Farm Nightmare
Ali Dehghantanha, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence, shared a chilling story about an Ontario dairy producer who experienced multiple ransomware attacks. After paying ransoms twice, the farmer called Dehghantanha when faced with a third attack demanding $25,000. The cybersecurity team discovered the attackers had been in the system for three years, installing multiple backdoors – like a persistent case of Staph aureus that keeps coming back despite treatment.
When the farmer declined Dehghantanha’s offer of a free cybersecurity monitoring program, disaster struck: “Within 20 days, his entire system, including the RFID reader, robots, and backup system, was encrypted, and a US$9.999 million ransom demand was made”.
Let that sink in. Nearly $10 million. For a single dairy farm. That’s enough to build a state-of-the-art 1,000-cow free-stall barn with all the trimmings.
And you think it can’t happen to you? That’s exactly what that Ontario farmer thought, too.
The Swiss Tragedy
Perhaps most disturbing is the case of Swiss dairy farmer Vital Bircher, whose milking robot data was encrypted in a 2023 ransomware attack. Although he refused the $10,000 ransom, the lack of access to critical data reportedly contributed to the death of a cow and her calf.
This is the stark reality – cyberattacks on dairy farms aren’t just financial inconveniences; they can directly threaten animal welfare and lives. It’s like losing access to your treatment records during a disease outbreak.
Processor Shutdowns and Supply Chain Chaos
The ripple effects extend beyond individual farms. Major dairy processors like HP Hood Dairy and Schreiber Foods have suffered attacks that shut down plants and disrupted milk collection. When processors can’t operate, farms have nowhere to ship milk, potentially forcing emergency dumping and significant financial losses – like having your bulk tank truck turned away during spring flush with no alternative outlet.
The HP Hood incident specifically affected the supply of milk cartons to schools in New England, demonstrating how these attacks can quickly cascade through the supply chain faster than a case of Salmonella in a processing plant.
The industry’s dirty little secret? Many processors have already been hit, but keep them quiet to avoid panic. Your milk cooperative or processor could be compromised now, and you wouldn’t even know it.
The Devastating Impact on Your Operation
When a cyberattack hits your farm, the consequences can be immediate and severe:
Operational Paralysis: Critical systems like milking robots, feeders, and environmental controls can be disabled, bringing operations to a halt – like having your entire milking parlor go down during peak production.
Animal Welfare Crisis: Missed milkings cause physical distress for cows, increasing mastitis risk. Early signs of illness or calving difficulties might be missed without access to monitoring systems, like losing your activity monitoring system during breeding season.
Data Loss or Manipulation: Years of irreplaceable records could be lost or subtly altered to influence management decisions – imagine losing your entire breeding history or having someone manipulate your SCC data before a quality audit.
Financial Hemorrhage: Beyond potential ransom payments, the costs include system restoration, lost production, emergency veterinary care, and long-term reputation damage – bleeding money faster than a high-producing cow with LDA.
The Evolving Threat Landscape: Know Your Enemy
Understanding the types of threats targeting dairy farms is essential for effective defense. These aren’t random attacks – they’re as targeted and strategic as your breeding program.
Ransomware: The Dominant Threat
Ransomware has emerged as the most significant cyber threat facing dairy farms. These attacks encrypt your critical data and systems, rendering them inaccessible until you pay a ransom, typically in cryptocurrency.
Modern ransomware attacks often employ “double extortion” – not only encrypting your data but also stealing copies beforehand, threatening to leak sensitive information if you don’t pay up. It’s like someone holding your milk check hostage while threatening to release your financial records to competitors.
The evidence shows a sharp increase in these attacks. One report noted a staggering 118% spike in ransomware attacks on food and agriculture in late 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Another analysis counted 212 ransomware incidents targeting the sector in 2024, a 27% increase from the previous year – growing faster than your replacement heifer inventory.
Phishing and Social Engineering: Exploiting the Human Element
While ransomware grabs headlines, many attacks begin by exploiting human psychology through deceptive tactics. Phishing remains a common method for attackers to gain initial access, sending fraudulent emails or messages designed to trick recipients into clicking malicious links, downloading infected attachments, or revealing sensitive information like passwords.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a particularly damaging form focused on financial fraud, where attackers compromise or spoof email accounts of executives or partners to initiate fraudulent wire transfers or change payment information. It’s like someone impersonating your milk hauler to redirect your milk check to their account.
Let’s be honest – how many of you have clicked on a suspicious link or opened an attachment without thinking twice? That single click could cost you your entire operation.
The Rising Threat from Activists
The threat landscape for dairy farms is evolving beyond traditional criminal motivations. Dehghantanha notes, “Gradually, the animal activists are – as they are educating themselves on cyberattack – becoming a major risk that is changing the [cybersecurity] risk landscape.”
These attackers typically aim to disrupt operations or make public demands of farm owners, potentially exposing farming practices they oppose – like releasing selective footage from your barn cameras.
The industry has been so focused on physical activism that we’ve ignored the digital front entirely. While you’re worrying about protesters at your gate, activists could be infiltrating your network to gather ammunition for their next campaign.
Even more concerning, government agencies have identified state-sponsored threats targeting critical infrastructure sectors, including food and agriculture. Unlike ransomware attacks motivated by financial gain, these attacks aim to destroy systems and negatively impact essential infrastructure – potentially as devastating as a deliberate introduction of FMD.
Threat Analysis of Cyber-Enabled Dairy Systems
| System | Key Threats | Potential Impact | Risk Level (1-5) |
| Farm Management Software | Data tampering, ransomware | Operational paralysis, financial loss | 5 |
| Robotic Milking | Malware, sensor spoofing | Missed milking, mastitis risk | 4 |
| Automated Feeding | Ration manipulation | Nutritional imbalances | 4 |
| Environmental Controls | HVAC shutdown | Heat stress, ammonia exposure | 3 |
| IoT Sensors | False data injection | Misdiagnosis of cow health | 3 |
Source: Based on NTNU Open threat analysis of dairy systems
Building Your Digital Defense: Essential Cybersecurity Practices
Protecting your dairy operation requires combining technical controls and sound operational practices. While the threat landscape is complex, focusing on fundamental cybersecurity hygiene provides a strong foundation for defense – think of it as your farm’s vaccination protocol against digital threats.
Access Control and Strong Authentication: Your First Line of Defense
Controlling who and what can access your farm systems and data is paramount:
Implement Strong Passwords: Use unique, complex passwords for every account, device, and system. Avoid easily guessable information, dictionary words, or reusing passwords across different services. Consider using password managers to generate and store complex passwords securely – treat your digital passwords with the same care as your AI tank lock combination.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This requires users to provide two or more verification forms (e.g., a password plus a code from a mobile app) before granting access. Enable it for all critical systems, including email, financial accounts, herd management software, cloud services, and remote access solutions. As CISA notes, implementing MFA “can make you 99% less likely to get hacked” – like adding a second lock to your medicine cabinet.
Apply the Principle of Least Privilege: Users, employees, and even automated systems should only be granted the minimum access necessary to perform their job functions. Regularly review user permissions and remove unnecessary access. Crucially, remove administrative privileges from standard user laptops and workstations to prevent many types of malware from installing or executing effectively – just as you wouldn’t give every employee the keys to your semen tank.
Still, using the same password for everything from your bank account to your feed ordering system? You might as well post your credit card number on Facebook.
Software Updates and Patch Management: Close the Security Holes
Software vulnerabilities are a primary target for attackers:
Keep Everything Updated: Maintain up-to-date operating systems, applications (herd management, accounting software), and firmware on routers, switches, and IoT devices by applying security patches as soon as they become available – as regularly as your preventative hoof bath program.
Enable Automatic Updates: When possible and safe, enable automatic update mechanisms. Prioritize patching vulnerabilities known to be actively exploited by attackers – like immediately addressing a known Staph aureus outbreak in your herd.
Data Backup and Recovery: Your Insurance Policy
Robust backups are essential for recovering from ransomware attacks, hardware failures, or other data loss events:
Implement Regular Backups: Establish a strategy for regular, automated backups of all critical farm data, including operational data, herd records, financial information, emails, and system configurations – as essential as your emergency generator during power outages.
Follow the 3-2-1 Rule: Maintain at least three copies of your data on two different types of storage media, with at least one copy stored offsite or offline (air-gapped). Offline backups – physically disconnected from the network – are crucial because ransomware can often encrypt network-accessible backup drives – like keeping duplicate breeding records in separate locations.
Test Your Backups: Regularly verify that backups are complete, uncorrupted, and can be restored within an acceptable timeframe. A backup strategy is only effective if restoration works – just as you’d test your emergency generator before storm season.
What is the industry’s biggest cybersecurity myth? Your cloud-based herd management software automatically protects your data. You’re one click away from disaster if you don’t have offline backups of your critical farm data.
Network Security: Building Digital Fences
Securing your farm’s network infrastructure helps prevent unauthorized access and limit the spread of threats:
Segment Your Network: Divide your farm network into logical segments. Critically separate the Information Technology (IT) network (used for business administration, email, and general internet access) from the Operational Technology (OT) network (controlling milking robots, feeders, and barn environment). This limits an attacker’s ability to move from a compromised system in one segment to critical systems in another – like maintaining separate pens for different groups of animals.
Use Firewalls: Deploy firewalls at the network perimeter and potentially between internal network segments to control traffic flow, blocking unauthorized connections – the digital equivalent of your farm’s biosecurity protocols.
Secure Wi-Fi Networks: Use strong encryption (WPA2 or WPA3) and complex, unique passwords for all wireless networks. Create separate guest networks for visitors, isolated from the main farm network – just as you’d have separate boot wash stations for visitors.
Employee Awareness and Training: The Human Firewall
People are often the first line of defense but also a potential weak link:
Conduct Regular Training: Provide ongoing cybersecurity awareness training for all farm owners, family members, and employees who use computers, mobile devices, or farm technology – as essential as your milker training program.
Focus on Key Risks: Training should cover how to recognize and report phishing emails and malicious websites, the importance of strong password hygiene, safe internet browsing habits, risks of using public Wi-Fi, and procedures for reporting suspicious activity – like teaching employees to recognize the early signs of mastitis or ketosis.
Foster a Security Culture: Encourage a culture where cybersecurity is viewed as everyone’s responsibility, supported by farm leadership – just as you’d promote a strong safety culture in your parlor.
When was the last time you trained your employees on cybersecurity? You wouldn’t let someone milk your cows without proper training, so why let them access your farm’s critical systems without teaching them the risks?
Developing an Incident Response Plan: Preparing for the Worst
Knowing what to do when an incident occurs is critical to minimizing damage and recovering quickly:
Create a Written Plan: Develop an Incident Response Plan (IRP) before an incident happens. Alarmingly, studies suggest that most farms lack such a plan – like operating without a protocol for dealing with a disease outbreak.
Define Roles and Steps: The IRP should clearly outline who does what during an incident, including steps for identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and communication – as detailed as your calving protocols.
Test Regularly: Practice your response through tabletop exercises or simulations to ensure everyone understands their roles and the plan is effective – like running through your emergency procedures before they’re needed.
Incident Response Steps
| Step | Action | Guidance |
| Identification | Activate monitoring alerts | Use security monitoring tools |
| Containment | Disconnect affected systems | Isolate farm networks |
| Communication | Notify insurers, legal, FBI | Use a pre-defined contact list |
| Recovery | Restore from offline backups | Test backups regularly |
The Lactanet Success Story: Learning from Industry Leaders
Not all cybersecurity stories end in disaster. Thanks to proactive measures, Lactanet, a major dairy service provider, successfully defended against a cyberattack with minimal disruption.
“We were either lucky or well-prepared to face that situation, so there was minimal disruption in the grand scheme of things,” said Daniel Lefebvre, Lactanet COO and Centre of Expertise director.
Recognizing that cyber threats were ubiquitous, Lactanet employed KPMG two years earlier to run cyber-risk assessments, gradually implementing the recommendations. This included hiring a 24/7 Managed Detection and Response (MDR) team to work with staff cybersecurity experts.
Lactanet’s cybersecurity education and training program includes running fake phishing campaigns that redirect employees to training modules after clicking on a potentially harmful link before granting system access – like running practice drills for your emergency protocols.
This proactive approach paid off when attackers gained access using stolen credentials. The company’s preparedness allowed them to detect and respond to the threat quickly, minimizing impact – much like how early mastitis detection through regular CMT testing can prevent a clinical flare-up.
Why aren’t more dairy organizations following Lactanet’s example? Our industry associations talk endlessly about milk prices and environmental regulations but remain virtually silent on cybersecurity threats that could bankrupt their members overnight.
The Bottom Line: Cybersecurity as a Business Investment
Let’s talk dollars and cents. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures requires investment – in technology, training, and potentially outside expertise. But compared to the potential costs of a successful attack, these preventative measures are a bargain – like spending money on vaccines rather than treating sick animals.
Cost of Cyberattacks vs. Prevention
| Scenario | Cost Estimate | Source |
| Ontario farm ransomware | $9.9M ransom + recovery | Food from Thought, 2024 |
| Swiss farm data loss | Livestock deaths + $10K ransom | Mexico Business News, 2025 |
| Annual MDR service | $5K–$15K/year | Industry average |
| Employee training | $500–$2K/year | EMILI Canada program |
The Ontario dairy farm that faced a $10 million ransom demand after refusing basic security monitoring illustrates the stark financial reality. Even if you never pay a ransom, the operational and recovery costs alone can be crippling – like trying to recover from a major disease outbreak without a prevention program in place.
The dairy industry spends millions on genetic improvement, nutrition research, and facility design – yet treats cybersecurity as an afterthought. This misplaced priority will cost us dearly.
Viewed through this lens, cybersecurity isn’t an IT expense – it’s a critical business investment that protects your operation’s continuity, your animals’ welfare, and ultimately, your bottom line – as essential as your preventative health program.
Taking Action: Your Cybersecurity Checklist
Ready to strengthen your farm‘s digital defenses? Here’s a practical checklist to get started:
- Conduct a Technology Inventory: Document all connected devices, systems, and software used in your operation – from your DairyComp 305 to your SCR collars to your Lely robots.
- Implement Basic Security Measures:
- Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts and devices
- Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible
- Keep all software and firmware updated
- Back up critical data regularly, including offline copies
- Secure your Wi-Fi networks with strong encryption and passwords
- Train Your Team:
- Educate all family members and employees about cybersecurity risks
- Teach them to recognize phishing attempts and suspicious activity
- Establish clear procedures for reporting potential security incidents
- Develop an Incident Response Plan:
- Document steps to take if a cyberattack occurs
- Include contact information for technical support, law enforcement, and other resources
- Practice the plan through simulations or tabletop exercises
- Consider Professional Help:
- For more extensive operations, consult with cybersecurity professionals for a thorough assessment
- Explore managed security services if you lack internal IT expertise
- Discuss cybersecurity options with your technology vendors and equipment dealers
Enhanced Cybersecurity Checklist
| Priority Action | Best Practice | Recommendation |
| Network segmentation | Isolate farm systems | Critical for protecting milking and feeding systems |
| Multi-factor auth (MFA) | Required for all accounts | Reduces breach risk by 99% |
| Air-gapped backups | 3-2-1 rule (offline copy) | Prevents ransomware from encrypting backups |
| Vulnerability scans | Use CISA’s free tools | Monthly checks for connected devices |
It’s Time to Wake Up and Act
The digital transformation of dairy farming has delivered remarkable benefits – increased efficiency, improved animal welfare, enhanced productivity, and data-driven decision-making. But these advances come with new responsibilities, including the critical need to secure our increasingly connected operations.
Our industry has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to cybersecurity. While we’ve eagerly adopted every new technology that promises to boost production or cut labor costs, we’ve completely ignored the security implications. This negligence is putting the entire dairy supply chain at risk.
As dairy farms continue to embrace technological innovation, cybersecurity must become integral to farm management practices. The threats are real and growing – from financially motivated ransomware attacks to ideologically driven disruptions by activists and even geopolitically motivated actions by state-sponsored groups.
The good news is that implementing fundamental cybersecurity practices can significantly reduce these risks. Strong access controls with multi-factor authentication, regular software updates, robust backup strategies, proper network security, ongoing employee training, and a well-developed incident response plan provide a solid foundation for protection.
Are you going to wait until you’re locked out of your milking system during a holiday weekend to take this seriously? Or will you take action now!!
Key Takeaways:
- Tech = Risk: Connected systems (milkers, sensors, software) are prime targets for ransomware and data theft.
- Animal Welfare at Stake: Cyberattacks can disrupt milking/feeding, risking mastitis, starvation, or death.
- Start Simple: Use strong passwords, MFA, offline backups, and network segmentation as first-line defenses.
- Train Your Team: 90% of breaches start with human error—educate staff on phishing and reporting threats.
- Plan for Crisis: Develop an incident response plan to minimize downtime and financial fallout during attacks.
Executive Summary:
Modern dairy farms’ reliance on connected technologies—automated milking, IoT sensors, herd software—exposes them to devastating cyberattacks like ransomware, phishing, and data breaches. These threats can halt operations, endanger animal welfare, and cost millions, as seen in real cases like Swiss farmer Vital Bircher’s loss of livestock. Essential defenses include multi-factor authentication, offline backups, network segmentation, and employee training. Cybersecurity is no longer optional; it’s as critical as biosecurity for protecting livelihoods. Proactive measures and industry-specific tools are vital to safeguarding farms in the digital age.
Learn more:
- Cybercriminals Hijack a Robotic Milking System, Causing Cattle to Die
Discover how a Swiss dairy farmer’s robotic milking system was held for ransom, resulting in tragic losses—and learn practical cybersecurity steps to protect your own farm. - The Rising Threat of Agriculture-Related Cybercrime
Explore real-world ransomware attacks on dairy operations, the role of state-sponsored hackers, and why every farm needs a multi-layered cybersecurity defense. - Unlocking Farm Efficiency and Enhancing Herd Management
See how mastering dairy data and building a security-conscious culture can boost efficiency, protect sensitive information, and future-proof your herd management.
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