December 2021 - 13

" All (food) processors are technology
companies, " Gatzke said of one of the
more vulnerable
sectors of the ag
world. " You can't
print a label on a
Post-it note. "
Companies
may also
experience
the loss of
proprietary
information and
PII, and may suffer reputational damage
resulting from a ransomware attack.
GREG GATZKE
Pursue the basics
" There's a need across agribusinesses
to create minimum, baseline
security standards to strengthen
technology systems, " Gatzke said.
" The recent ransomware attacks on
Colonial Pipeline and JBS affected
the supply chain and consumers
directly, highlighting the risks these
cyberattacks bring. There's a need across
agribusinesses to create minimum,
baseline security standards to
strengthen technology systems. "
At a minimum, Gatzke said in a
column he wrote for Western Growers,
companies must:
1. Implement security standards.
Security solutions that protect
an organization's network,
such as antivirus systems and
advanced firewalls, along with
ongoing software updates and
vulnerability tests, are necessary
elements of a company's
security strategy. Organizations
must also require multi-factor
authentication (MFA) for all
remote and email access. MFA is
a process that authenticates the
identity of a person through two
or more methods before allowing
access to specific applications or
accounts. MFA implementation
is not foolproof, but it is an
essential step in strengthening an
organization's security posture.
2. Be able to recover fast.
Organizations must plan for
the worst and be able to recover
quickly. If criminals get access to
your network, can they destroy
your backups? They'll often
succeed. They must be protected.
Organizations must have advanced
storage that allows them to use
snapshots to recover instantly.
3. Make sure your desktops are
protected.
Too many IT people think about
restoring the servers in the data
center. It is our comfortable
place. Ask them how they will
recover if every desktop is
encrypted. This can be more
significant than the loss of the
servers.
4. Have a formal disaster recovery,
incident recovery and business
continuity plan.
IT must have a formal disaster
recovery plan that explains how they
will recover systems should disaster
strike. In a disaster, the whole business
must know how to respond.
AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT SALES AND SERVICE
VGN | DECEMBER 2021 | 11
An incident response (IR) plan is
critical to guide:
* How communications will occur
throughout the company when
systems are down.
* Will a ransom be paid?
* How the event will be
communicated to customers and
vendors.
* When and if law enforcement,
insurance and other agencies will be
engaged.
Finally, a business continuity plan
must be created to instruct the
business on operating in a disaster.
This includes questions like:
* How will product be produced
without computers?
* How will orders be communicated?
* How will product be picked, labeled
and shipped?
An IR plan is not for IT; it involves
the entire organization and is key to a
successful outcome should an intrusion
occur.
5. Determine if suppliers pose a
risk.
The old adage is that organizations
are only as strong as their weakest
link. The new reality is that they
are only as strong as their weakest
supplier. If your suppliers are
compromised and can't deliver,
your organization can be shut
down. Companies should manage
their suppliers to ensure they have
protections in place, and that they
are secure. Examples of these
protections include secure remote
access methods, a secure internet
presence, email protections to stop
phishing attacks and ensuring
they do not have exposed logins/
passwords on the DarkWeb.
6. Remain vigilant.
Every ag company is dependent
upon technology. Technology
can be used to gain a competitive
advantage for your organization,
but it can also introduce risk
without the foundation of security,
maintenance, and support. Make
sure your company and suppliers
have the proper protections and
processes to ensure that we can
continue producing the food that
America needs. VGN
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December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2021