EASTON, MD – CyberAg, a program of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC), has announced its third symposium will take place during a special pre-conference session of the 2021 Maryland Farm Bureau on December 5 in Cambridge, MD. Titled “Cyber Sunday,” the event will focus on the growing threats to the agriculture community from cybercriminals, nation states, activists, and malicious competitors. Registration is free and there will be virtual streaming for those unable to attend in person.
While the agricultural and food supply industries have historically had little demand for cybersecurity, recent ransomware assaults on companies like JBS and New Cooperative have brought the issue to the forefront. Industry experts will discuss how to recognize threats, how to defend against them and, if needed, how to respond to an attack.
“This will likely be one of the most critical learning experiences an agricultural professional will attend,” said Andrew Rose, executive director of CyberAg. “The symposium will feature subject matter experts who will explain the entire landscape of who the adversaries are, what their motivations are, how they attack, and how to mitigate an attack.”
CyberAg has grown into a national program to bring outreach, awareness, education, and resources to address the ever-increasing threat of cyberattacks against the U.S. food and agricultural supply chain.
The conference begins at 11:45 am with lunch and a keynote address by cybersecurity expert Maria Vachino. This will be followed by breakout sessions with industry experts on topics including:
- Current Threats + Adversaries + Motivation: Who is attacking agriculture now, and why?
- Attack Vectors + Mitigation: How are criminals getting into computers and how can ag professionals make themselves less of a target?
- Resources: How do you respond when your ag business is attacked?
- Future Threats: What’s on the horizon?
- Q&A: Open discussion between panelists and participants
To see the full CyberAg program and register for the event, please visit https://bit.ly/3CKHdA3
Sponsors of the event include ESEC, F3 Tech, Cyber Security Association of Maryland, Maryland Department of Commerce, Cyber Incubation Center at BW Tech, Maryland Innovation Center, Howard County Economic Development Authority, Offit/Kurman, and MidShore Technology Services.
About CyberAg: CyberAg provides cybersecurity outreach, awareness, education, and access to resources for the agriculture and food supply chain. We exist at the crossroads of agriculture and cybersecurity to help harden the posture of this critical national security pillar. For more information, visit https://cyberag.org/
About ESEC: The Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization created in 2004 to help advance an entrepreneurship ecosystem on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. For more information, visit https://ventureahead.org/
