__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cybersecurity potentially hackers) can travel. It’ s therefore crucial for food and beverage firms to carefully consider what information and access are granted between platforms, and how they can ensure security is airtight.
In early 2026, the Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center reported an 82 percent increase in ransomware activity between 2024 and 2025 across all sectors it tracked, including 265 attacks on the food and agriculture sector alone. Food businesses need to focus on
threat preparation as much as prevention.
How food businesses can prepare for disruption
The precise ways food companies can prepare for disruption from cyberattacks will vary from case to case. However, it is good practice to:
■ Carefully assess and regularly vet thirdparty vendors and suppliers
■ Establish backup inventory tracking and sourcing options
■ Line up backup suppliers and vendors wherever possible
■ Segment critical systems( such as HVAC and refrigeration) from broader networks to prevent threats from traveling
■ Back up inventory and dispatch data regularly, and test that it can be restored before a crisis forces the issue
■ Refresh training regularly and run scenario exercises to test threat handling skills( for example, phishing simulations)
■ Invest in cyber insurance
■ Establish manual workarounds in the event of digital collapse
A food business facing lockdown by a threat that started elsewhere on the supply chain may sound unlikely. The numbers above suggest otherwise, and preparation costs far less than recovery. ■
Chris Brown www. vikingcloud. com
Chris Brown is a senior cybersecurity and product marketing leader with over 15 years of experience across cybersecurity, information systems auditing, product management, and marketing. As a Senior Product Marketing Manager at VikingCloud, Chris helps businesses understand how to navigate complex security challenges through solutions that support secure, uninterrupted operations and align with risk management frameworks.
foodchainmagazine. com 25