Agroterrorism & Cyber Threats: How Farms Are Under Attack

📢 Listener Advisory: This episode discusses unsettling topics, including terrorism, animal harm, cult-like groups, radical activism, and threats to food security. Listener discretion is advised.

What happens when terrorism targets the food we eat?  In this eye-opening episode of Bites and Bytes Podcast, we explore agroterrorism—the deliberate targeting of farms, livestock, and food supply chains to incite fear, economic damage, or ideological change.

Joining host Kristin Demoranville are three leading experts in agriculture, risk management, and security:

👩‍🌾 Hannah Thompson-Weeman – President & CEO of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, Hannah is a leading voice in protecting animal agriculture from activist threats and misinformation.  She has dedicated her career to connecting the food supply chain and defending farms against radical actors.

📜 Michael Urbanik – Insurance and risk management expert at R.K. Tongue Co., Inc., Michael works closely with businesses to understand their vulnerabilities and create protection strategies against emerging threats, including agroterrorism and cybercrime.

🌎 Andrew Rose - A Bites and Bytes Podcast repeat guest, Andrew is a visionary AgFuturist and cybersecurity strategist. He is focused on mitigating threats to agriculture that are generations ahead of their time. As an advisor to BIO-ISAC and an expert in food and climate security, he brings a crucial perspective on the evolving risks to our food systems.

🛑 Who should listen?

• Farmers & Ranchers – Protect your livelihood from security threats.
• Food Industry Professionals – Learn about supply chain risks and disruptions.
• Cybersecurity & Risk Experts – Understand the intersection of cybercrime and agriculture.
• Policy Makers & Regulators – Gain insights into the evolving threats to food security.
• Concerned Consumers – Get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep our food supply safe.

🔍 In this episode, we discuss:

• What agroterrorism is (and what it isn’t)
• How extremist groups are infiltrating farms and food supply chains
• The role of cyberattacks in disrupting agriculture
• The impact of activism, misinformation, and social engineering on food production
• Best practices for protecting farms and food systems
• Real-world examples of agroterrorist incidents and their consequences

Food security is national security.  Join us for a gripping discussion on why agriculture is under attack—and what we can do to defend it.

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Episode Key Highlights

(0:08:09) - What is Agroterrorism? 
(0:11:56) - Economic and Social Impact
(0:16:42) - Detection Challenges
(0:19:16) - Cybersecurity’s Role
(0:23:36) - Radical Activism
(0:25:03) - Protective Measures for Farmers
(0:29:20) - Do We Have the Right Skills?
(0:33:38) - Real Agroterrorism Cases
(0:38:59) - Cyberbullying & Threats
(0:42:22) - Mental Health Toll
(0:50:20) - How Cyber Experts Can Help
(1:00:15) - Final Thoughts

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Show Notes:

FBI Definition of Agroterrorism:

https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/agroterrorism-threats-to-americas-economy-and-food-supply#:~:text=A%20subset%20of%20bioterrorism%2C%20agroterrorism,from%20four%20categories%20of%20perpetrators.

Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA)

https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-markets-financial-institutions-and-fiscal-service/federal-insurance-office/terrorism-risk-insurance-program

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act:

https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ374/PLAW-109publ374.pdf

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