The Food and Agriculture – Information Sharing and Analysis Center released its first annual report on ransomware incidents in the U.S. food and agriculture sector. The report shows that while there were fewer ransomware incidents in the industry than other sectors, ransomware actors have shown a level of sophistication and understanding of sector victims.

The Food and AG-ISAC found 167 ransomware attacks against the sector out of 2,905 total ransomware incidents studied in 2023, which was 5.5 percent of all attacks.

“Ransomware remains a serious threat to all business sectors, including the food and ag industry,” says Jonathan Braley, Director of the Food and Ag-ISAC. “Despite several hacker disruptions by law enforcement, cyber attackers often operate in countries that turn a blind eye to their efforts.”

Ransomware hackers use malicious code to encrypt critical data so an organization cannot access files, databases, or applications, rendering systems unusable unless the victim pays a ransom.