Securing Canada’s Ag-Food Systems: The Nation’s Most Vulnerable Critical Infrastructure

Canada’s agri-food sector—central to national security, economic stability, and public health—is becoming a high-value target for cyber attackers. From ransomware locking robotic milking systems to attacks that have resulted in livestock deaths, the threats facing agricultural operations are no longer hypothetical. This talk exposes the real and rising cyber risks in smart farming environments and explains why Canada's agri-food sector is now one of its most vulnerable critical infrastructures.

Drawing on real-world case studies—including a ransomware attack on a Canadian dairy farm and an incident in Switzerland where system failure led to the death of a cow and its unborn calf—this session illustrates the devastating impact of cyber attacks on food production and animal welfare. The presentation highlights the evolving threat landscape, including opportunistic criminals, state-sponsored groups, and increasingly, hacktivists targeting farming operations for ideological reasons.

Attendees will gain practical insights into key mitigation steps, including how to select the right cybersecurity experts, conduct self-assessments, and implement managed monitoring solutions. The session also discusses why many traditional tools (like antivirus software) are insufficient for protecting cyber-physical systems in ag-tech.

The talk concludes with an interactive tabletop exercise where participants will simulate a ransomware attack response at a dairy farm, experiencing firsthand the operational, ethical, and strategic challenges involved.

This workshop is a call to action for producers, policymakers, and technology vendors: protecting Canada’s food systems from cyber threats isn’t just IT’s job—it’s everyone’s responsibility.

This presentation is facilitated by Dr. Ali Dehghantanha. Dr. Dehghantanha is a leading academic-entrepreneur and thought leader in AI security. He is the co-founder and CEO of Avaly.AI, a company dedicated to building security for an AI-First world.

As a Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence, Dr. Dehghantanha is also the founding director of the Canada Cyber Foundry at the University of Guelph, a center focused on advancing cybersecurity education, innovation, and industry collaboration.

He established and leads the Master of Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence program, as well as the Master of Leadership in Cybersecurity and Cyberpreneurship, equipping the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and innovators with the skills to navigate an AI-driven security landscape.

This event is organized by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. Click here to register.