The assessment will cover various aspects, including the nature and extent of cyberattacks targeting the agriculture and food sector, the potential impact on food safety, security, and availability, the readiness of government and private sectors to prevent and respond to such attacks, and policies to improve defenses. It will also identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing defenses.
The Secretary of Agriculture is required to submit a report to various committees within the House of Representatives and Senate, detailing the findings of each conducted study. Additionally, the bill mandates an annual cross-sector crisis simulation exercise over five years, focusing on food-related cyber emergencies or disruptions. These exercises aim to assess preparedness, identify and address vulnerabilities, improve coordination, evaluate existing policies, develop best practices, and identify key entities for future exercises.
The legislation, introduced by representatives Brad Finstad and Elissa Slotkin in the House and senators Tom Cotton and Kristen Gillibrand in the Senate, is co-sponsored by over a dozen other lawmakers and supported by various associations within the agriculture and food sector.
Source: SecurityWeek
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