This bill aims to bolster the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector . It broadly defines this sector to include all activities and entities involved in the production, processing, distribution, storage, transportation, consumption, or disposal of agricultural and food products. The legislation mandates the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, to conduct biennial risk assessments of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities within this critical sector. These assessments must evaluate the nature and impact of cyberattacks, current response capabilities, existing policies, and identify gaps or opportunities for improvement, including recommendations for legislative or administrative actions. Furthermore, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in collaboration with other federal agencies, to establish and conduct annual cross-sector simulation exercises over a five-year period. These exercises are designed to assess preparedness, identify vulnerabilities in the food supply chain, enhance coordination among stakeholders, and evaluate the effectiveness of current food security policies. Each exercise will involve realistic scenarios and incorporate input from a wide range of experts and participants from federal, state, tribal, local, and private sector entities. Following each exercise, the Secretary must provide feedback to participants and submit a report to Congress summarizing findings, lessons learned, and recommendations to enhance the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector. The bill authorizes $1,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out these exercises.
This bill aims to bolster the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector . It broadly defines this sector to include all activities and entities involved in the production, processing, distribution, storage, transportation, consumption, or disposal of agricultural and food products. The legislation mandates the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, to conduct biennial risk assessments of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities within this critical sector. These assessments must evaluate the nature and impact of cyberattacks, current response capabilities, existing policies, and identify gaps or opportunities for improvement, including recommendations for legislative or administrative actions. Furthermore, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in collaboration with other federal agencies, to establish and conduct annual cross-sector simulation exercises over a five-year period. These exercises are designed to assess preparedness, identify vulnerabilities in the food supply chain, enhance coordination among stakeholders, and evaluate the effectiveness of current food security policies. Each exercise will involve realistic scenarios and incorporate input from a wide range of experts and participants from federal, state, tribal, local, and private sector entities. Following each exercise, the Secretary must provide feedback to participants and submit a report to Congress summarizing findings, lessons learned, and recommendations to enhance the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector. The bill authorizes $1,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out these exercises.