U.S. lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives have reintroduced the Farm and Food Cybersecurity legislation that focuses on protecting America’s food supply chain by identifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the agricultural sector and improving protective measures of government and private entities against cyber threats. The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act is supported by the Chamber of Commerce, Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition, North American Millers Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, USA Rice, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and American Farm Bureau Federation.
The legislation was introduced by House Representatives Brad Finstad for Minnesota, Jill Tokuda for Hawaii, Don Bacon for Nebraska, and Sharice Davids for Kansas. Senators Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, and Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Congressman Finstad initially introduced the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act in January 2024. Provisions of this legislation were included in the House Agriculture Committee-passed Farm Bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024.
The legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study every two years on cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities within the agriculture and food sectors and submit a report to Congress.
It also requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, as well as the Director of National Intelligence, to conduct an annual cross-sector crisis simulation exercise for food-related cyber emergencies or disruptions.
“With innovation and advancement in precision ag technology, the agricultural industry has become more technologically advanced, creating new challenges and vulnerabilities for farmers across southern Minnesota and the nation,” Finstad said in a statement. “Food security is national security. The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act will make tremendous strides to protect our nation’s food supply from the imminent cyber threats that the ag sector experiences here at home.”
“Cyber attacks pose a threat to every facet of our daily lives, including our ability to put food on our tables. Hardworking Americans are already grappling with high food costs, and too many struggle with food insecurity,” according to Tokuda. “Protecting our country’s food supply is critical; that’s why I’m proud to co-lead the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act with my colleague Rep. Brad Finstad. We must continue to identify and address cyber vulnerabilities and threats to better protect the food supply chain that all Americans depend on.”
“Nebraska is home to some of the best farmers and ranchers who help feed the world and are a vital part of our economy. However, our agricultural sector faces increasing threats from foreign adversaries, as evidenced by the 2021 Russian cyberattack on JBS, which shut down slaughterhouses across the nation, including Nebraska,” Bacon said. “To safeguard our national security, we must take immediate action to protect our farms and food supply from cyberattacks. The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act is essential to achieving this goal by helping us understand how to best prepare for and prevent future cyberattacks. We cannot afford to compromise our ability to feed ourselves.”
“Cyber threats to our food and agriculture sectors don’t just impact farmers and co-ops — they impact every family that relies on a stable food supply and affordable groceries,” Davids identified. “Strengthening our defenses against these attacks is critical to protecting our economy, keeping grocery prices down, and strengthening our national security. I’m proud to support the bipartisan Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act to help safeguard our supply chains and prevent disruptions that could drive up costs for Kansas families.”
“America’s adversaries are seeking to gain any advantage they can against us—including targeting critical industries like agriculture. Congress must work with the Department of Agriculture to identify and defeat these cybersecurity vulnerabilities,” Cotton noted. “This legislation will ensure we are prepared to protect the supply chains our farmers and all Americans rely on.”
“Food security is national security, and the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act is a vital step toward safeguarding Michigan’s agriculture and food sectors,” said Senator Slotkin. “Cyber attacks threaten our food supply constantly, and we must ensure both government and private industries are prepared. This bipartisan bill will require the Department of Agriculture to work closely with our national security agencies to ensure that our adversaries, like China, can’t threaten our ability to feed ourselves by ourselves.”
“The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act is crucial to bolstering the security and resilience of our nation’s food and agriculture sector,” Matthew Eggers, vice president for cybersecurity policy in the Cyber, Space, and National Security Policy Division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “By proactively studying the cybersecurity risks to the sector and holding relevant exercises, we can help safeguard approximately 2.1 million farms, 935,000 restaurants, and more than 200,000 registered food-related facilities that collectively contribute approximately one-fifth of the nation’s economic output. The Chamber applauds the lawmakers for their leadership on this important step, and we look forward to working with them as the bill advances through the legislative process.”
Strongly supporting the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025, the Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition observed that this critical legislation will enhance the resilience of the nation’s food and agriculture sector against cyber threats by requiring that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency coordinate efforts, while mandating broader public-private sector collaboration on resiliency exercises.
“As cyberattacks in the sector increase, it is imperative for public and private entities to collaborate in safeguarding our food supply and national security,” it added. “We thank Representative Senator Cotton (R-AR), Reps. Brad Finstad (R-MN), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) for their leadership on this effort, and we urge swift passage of this bill to help promote secure and resilient agricultural infrastructure.”
Earlier this month, the Food and Ag-ISAC released its latest publication, the Food and Ag Sector Cyber Threat Report, which employs the Predictive Adversary Scoring System (PASS) to identify key threat actors within the food and agriculture industry. Data revealed that about 90 percent of threat actor TTPs use readily available tools or living off the land (LOTL) techniques; targeted spearphishing attacks were observed in about 83 percent of attacks against organizations, while 80 percent of these attacks involved the development of custom malware and tools.
