Cybersecurity has to be seen as a risk management tool.Ottawa—The federal government has provided more than $529,000 over four years to a project aimed at raising awareness of the need for the agriculture sector to adopt cybersecurity measures to protect its investment in hi-tech equipment and services.The Community Safety Knowledge Alliance is leading the Cyber Security Capacity in Canadian Agriculture Project as part of a program to protect critical national infrastructure. Janos Botschner of Guelph, the lead project researcher, says the need for enhanced cybersecurity grows as farms become more and more connected with services delivered over the Internet to increase their productivity and profitability.The first year of the project will focus on assessing the state of agriculture cybersecurity, raising awareness of its importance with farmers and reaching out to leaders in the farm community about the kinds of threats farmers could be facing and the need to build resilience into their operations including a business recovery strategy, Botschner said.It's an issue that hasn't been fully explored, he said. “We need to learn what's going on in agriculture. Education and training will be important so farmers know how to safeguard their data. We're not a bunch of experts telling farmers what to do. We want to engage them in an important conversation. Cybersecurity has to be seen as a big part of managing risk.”Having a wide-ranging discussion on the issue will benefit producers because of the different perspectives that would be involved. “We want to engage with farm operators to understand how they manage risk and how they can be better prepared to respond to threats.”Cal Corley, CEO of the Knowledge Alliance, said the level of risk won't be uniform through the farm sector. “The rapidly evolving cyber threat environment within which Canada's agricultural sector operates is outpacing the abilities of many farm and other agricultural operations to adapt and respond. This initiative will help better understand and support the sector in closing critical gaps. This will go a long way in protecting this vital segment of our economy – and the livelihoods and well-being of so many families.”That agriculture has been selected for inclusion in the national cybersecurity program shows the government recognizes the sector's economic importance, Botschner said. Farmers depend on supply chains for inputs as well as sales of their products, he said. These chains need to be protected from cyber attacks.While external threats like hackers and ransomware attacks get most of the attention when it comes to cybersecurity, it's also important to make sure hi-tech equipment such as environmental control systems in barns is protected from ordinary risks like moisture and dust, he said.The Regina-based Alliance is a non-profit corporation that mobilizes, integrates, and facilitates research and new knowledge development on community safety and well-being. It works with academia, government, research and technology organizations, industry and community agencies to achieve their goals and mission.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.