Cybersecurity plays a crucial role in shaping the costs and benefits of digitalisation in agriculture. On the cost side, investments are required for secure infrastructure, software, and training to ensure farmers and stakeholders can protect sensitive data. These expenses extend to ongoing maintenance, system updates, and incident response measures. Without adequate protection, the risk of cyberattacks could lead to significant financial losses, operational disruptions, and compromised data integrity.
However, robust cybersecurity also brings substantial benefits. It ensures the protection of sensitive agricultural data, increases trust in digital solutions, and enhances operational efficiency by safeguarding precision farming technologies. Secure digital platforms enable more reliable decision-making, optimise resource use, and strengthen supply chains by ensuring product traceability and regulatory compliance.
The balance between costs and benefits often depends on the scale of agricultural operations. While larger farms and agribusinesses can absorb cybersecurity investments as part of their overall digitalisation strategy, smaller farms may find the financial burden challenging without external support. Public policies and cooperative initiatives can help bridge this gap, ensuring that the advantages of agricultural digitalisation are widely accessible without exposing farmers to undue risks.
