New Cooperative, Inc., a Fort Dodge, IA based grain cooperative, as well as Crystal Valley, a Mankato, MN based farm supply and grain marketing cooperative, both were struck by ransomware in the past few weeks. These are just two of many critical infrastructure attacks that have occurred in the Manufacturing, Financial, Energy and Agriculture sectors as of recent.

Please recognize, New Cooperative and Crystal Valley are NOT on AgTrax’s System. AgTrax has also NOT been subject to any ransomware attacks. Please dispel any rumors you may have heard of such. AgTrax continues to take every precaution to prevent a data breach to our System.

It's important to note that no system is 100% vulnerability free or “hacker-proof.” It is estimated that new attacks are occurring every 11 seconds, with Ransomware costs expected to reach $265 Billion by 2031.

How can you protect your Organization:

• Work with a reputable IT Company:
  • Update and patch systems
  • Utilize anti-malware and anti-ransomware technology
  • Employ multi-factor authentication
  • Install business-class firewalls
  • Maintain email filters
• Train Employees:
  • Do not click on files that you do not know
  • Pay careful attention to the URLs of websites
  • Verify email senders are who they say they are
  • Exercise caution when opening any email attachment
  • Watch for fake:
    • Job offers
    • Invoices for items you did not order
    • Messages from your company or contacts that seem out of place

Mitigate potential hacker access to your Systems:

• Use a VPN between your main office and branch locations.
• Use IP filtering on the firewall appliance, so only AgTrax's public IP address is allowed direct access to the AgTrax server.
• For access to user's work directories, use an ftp client, like WinSCP or FTP Commander. Avoid using mapped links in Windows Explorer. Anything mapped in Windows Explorer ("This PC") is always accessible from Windows. Using an FTP client doesn't establish the connection until the program is launched and the user logs in.

If you have further questions concerning software security, consult your IT Company, or contact :

Jay Humphrey, AgTrax Director of Information Technology

– t: 620.560.6312 | e: jhumphrey@isg-inc.net

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) also offers a cybersecurity resource page relevant to the agribusiness industry. The page includes links to resources that may help your feed and grain business from suffering from a ransomware attack.