The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a warning alerting companies in the food and agricultural sector that they are at high risk for ransomware. This is partially due to corporate attack surfaces expanding, according to the bureau. The notification stated that the sectors contain critical infrastructures that could negatively impact the food supply chain should they be targeted by ransomware. According to the Private Industry Notification, the FBI predicts that ransomware gangs will target larger organizations that are more likely to pay ransom demands and smaller companies that are seen as easier targets.

According to the FBI, the shift to more IoT may offer a new and enticing attack surface to target. In the event of a ransomware attack, those in the food and agricultural sector would suffer from theft of information, financial damage, and loss of productivity. The industry has already been a target for attacks, notably JBS USA, a meat processing giant that was attacked in May of this year.

Read More: FBI Warns Food and Agriculture Firms of Ransomware Threat