Duncan Susan E., Reinhard Robert, Williams Robert C., Ramsey Ford, Thomason Wade, Lee Kiho, Dudek Nancy, Mostaghimi Saied, Colbert Edward, Murch Randall
PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., 29 March 2019 https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00063
Our national data and infrastructure security issues affecting the “bioeconomy” are evolving rapidly. Simultaneously, the conversation about cyber security of the U.S. food and agricultural system (cyber biosecurity) is incomplete and disjointed. The food and agricultural production sectors influence over 20% of the nation’s economy ($6.7T) and 15% of U.S. employment (43.3M jobs). The food and agricultural sectors are immensely diverse and they require advanced technologies and efficiencies that rely on computer technologies, big data, cloud-based data storage, and internet accessibility. There is a critical need to safeguard the cyber biosecurity of our bio economy, but currently protections are minimal and do not broadly exist across the food and agricultural system. Using the food safety management Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system concept as an introductory point of reference, we identify important features in broad food and agricultural production and food systems: dairy, food animals, row crops, fruits and vegetables, and environmental resources (water). This analysis explores the relevant concepts of cyber biosecurity from food production to the end product user (such as the consumer) and considers the integration of diverse transportation, supplier, and retailer networks. We describe common challenges and unique barriers across these systems and recommend solutions to advance the role of cyber biosecurity in the food and agricultural sectors.
What
Integrated scientific, mathematical, computational, and engineering advancements in regenerative biology, genetics and breeding technologies, plant-derived vaccine and animal therapies, biological design and testing automation, and other activities are rapidly leading to development of biotechnological and agricultural applications of direct relevance to the Fd+Ag system (The National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), 2014; Wintle et al., 2017). The translation and application of data-driven technologies for precision agriculture, autonomous systems, bio-automated processing and data recording, and other technologies yields large data sets of economic and bio-based information for agribusinesses (Sykuta, 2016). Such advances require high throughput processing, data management and integration, bio-automation, and other computer-based management of biological data
Risks
Unprotected or weakly protected systems are susceptible to unwanted surveillance, intrusions into data systems, and cyber-activities targeted toward malicious attack.
• Threats to confidentiality—data privacy
◦ Data exposure (e.g., naïve exposure of data by individuals, cyber security gaps in small businesses, or laboratories to potential threats);
◦ Capturing private data with intent to aggregate data for profit or predictive advantage.
• Threats to integrity—theft or destruction of intellectual property/productivity disruptions, and safety risks
◦ Intellectual property theft (e.g., advances in plant and animal varieties and genetics)
◦ Manipulation of critical automated (computer-based) processes (e.g., thermal processing time and temperature for food safety);
◦ Seizing control of robotics or autonomous vehicles (e.g., failure to perform, overriding of precise function).
• Threats to availability—disruption of agricultural/food production and supply.
• Misinformation influencing trust and cooperation within the Fd+Ag system and/or consumers.
• Lack of equipment, supplies, or end-products to meet expectations;
• Lack of ability to perform vulnerability assessments and develop emergency response plans (e.g., protection of rivers, surface waters, and drinking water supplies).
The complex and vastly diverse enterprises within the Fd+Ag system increases vulnerability of our food supply and threatens our ability to contribute to the global food supply.