Poster - #VH-05218 - Keywords: Agtech agricultural technology agriculture ag tech data privacy cybersecurity agritech

Understanding How Emerging Agricultural Technologies Impact Cybersecurity and Societal Risks—and What to Do About It

Jenn Johnson, MSW, PhD, FIP • Partner/EVP Privacy & Security • Kuma
Kuma LLC

ABSTRACT:
Precision agriculture increasingly relies on digital technologies to collect, store, process, and transfer agricultural and personal data. These technologies—including AI models, drones, in-ground sensors, automated mechanical systems, and analytics platforms—may be used independently or integrated across broader operations. Together, they generate and synthesize large volumes of information used to support decision-making across farming, ranching, and land management.

While these tools offer clear benefits to agriculture professionals, government agencies, and the public—including improved productivity, resource use, and sustainability—they also introduce cybersecurity and data privacy risks. These risks can lead to financial loss, reputational harm, identity theft, and disruption of operations and infrastructure. As agriculture technology providers process increasing volumes of sensitive data, the potential impact of these risks on individual operations and broader systems grows.

This poster explores key cybersecurity and privacy risks associated with AI and data use in precision agriculture and land management. In addition to outlining potential harms, it provides actionable practices to minimize vulnerabilities and reduce risk exposure. These practices draw on privacy engineering principles and practical security strategies to help AgTech providers build more resilient, trustworthy systems from the ground up.