Cybersecurity Barriers in Agriculture 4.0: A Study of Michigan Family Farms

Abstract

Connected technology and data are changing modern farm operations through near real-time data-driven decision-making as farms adopt Agriculture 4.0 technologies and practices. While Agriculture 4.0 seeks to improve farm efficiency and address labor scarcity, it exposes farms to heightened cybersecurity risks. The U.S. Food and Agriculture sector is a growing target for malicious cyberattacks. In 2022, the U.S. FBI warned that cyberattacks timed against the farm supply chain during critical periods could have adverse downstream effects on farms. Farms are also targets of ransomware, phishing, and other cyber techniques. Increasing cybersecurity adoption across farms is crucial to protect the FA sector's resilience. To promote cybersecurity adoption by U.S. farms, the cybersecurity community must understand the barriers farms face. Kjønås and Wangen (2023) emphasize the lack of research focusing on farmers' knowledge and perspectives about cybersecurity, highlighting an area needing research. This study addresses this gap by examining technology adoption and cybersecurity barriers among family-owned farms in Michigan, U.S. This study applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by Davis (1986) to frame farmers' understanding of cybersecurity, its ease of use, and perceived usefulness, seeking insights to improve the education of farmers and overcome cybersecurity adoption barriers. Results reveal a lack of knowledge about cybersecurity, the need to understand the value and importance of cybersecurity, and how to obtain cybersecurity assistance, which hinders farmers' recognition of cybersecurity's practicality and value. This study offers recommendations to help cybersecurity researchers and practitioners increase farmers’ cybersecurity understanding and highlight the importance of basic cybersecurity hygiene as farms adopt Agriculture 4.0.