Cybersecurity Policy Report, Agriculture Sector Would Get New Cyber Defense Tools Under Senate Bill, (Sep 18, 2025)
Organizations Mentioned:U.S. Department of Agriculture
A bill that would provide tools for the agriculture sector to improve its cybersecurity has been introduced by Sens. Ted Budd (R., N.C.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D., Nev.).
The Cybersecurity in Agriculture Act (S.B. __, 119th Cong. (2025)) would amend the 1977 National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish five regional Agriculture Cybersecurity Centers coordinated by one college or university, according to the bill.
“America’s adversaries are seeking to exploit agricultural technologies and jeopardize our national security. As North Carolina’s top industry, I have seen the benefits that precision technology has on increasing agricultural output and boosting exports, but it takes just one bad actor to stop our producers from feeding America,” Sen. Budd said in a news release.
“Innovative farmers and ranchers in Nevada and across the country should be able to use new technology without fear of being targeted by a bad actor,” Sen. Cortez Masto said. “This bipartisan legislation will defend our agricultural sector from cyberattacks, promoting American national security and food security.”
The bill aims to establish “efficient and consistent communication between each Cybersecurity Center and local agricultural industries,” according to the news release.
The centers would also conduct cybersecurity exercises to test techniques and technologies to protect agricultural systems from hackers and provide cybersecurity training to agricultural workers.
Similar legislation was introduced in June by Reps. Zach Nunn (R., Iowa) and Don Davis (D., N.C.) (CPR, June 18).
News: FederalLegislation DataSecurity