FARM businesses face threats from cyber criminals and need to know how to protect themselves, a special event hosted by the Devon Young Farmers Clubs was told.

The session, run by the South West Cyber Resilience Centre, with support from leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, heard from experts on the subject about the risks to agricultural businesses from online criminals.

Members of Devon Young Farmers Clubs, which is sponsored by NFU Mutual, attended the event at the DYFC Rural Hub in the Amory Building, Exeter, on Wednesday, November 6.

NFU Mutual Agent Mathew Latchford, from the Barnstaple and Bideford Agency, said: “Cyber criminals are known to target small businesses which may not have all the online protections in place that are standard in larger organisations. Some farm businesses may fall into this category – and this event will have helped highlight the risks and suggest solutions.

“There is no doubt that online crime is a growing problem, and rural businesses need to be aware of how to protect themselves. NFU Mutual is delighted to support Devon Young Farmers and pleased to see the steps they are taking to provide business advice to their members.”

Young Farmers attending the event were given an explanation of what the cyber risks are and how they impact on farm businesses.

They also heard about the most common cyber threats used in targeting the agricultural industry and were given tips on protecting themselves and their businesses in the future.

Chloe Arscott, agricultural chair of DYFC said: “Each year Devon Young Farmers puts on an agri-business programme looking at a series of topics of value to farm businesses. Cyber crime is an important topic, and we were pleased to host the session.”

Other sessions in the programme, which runs throughout the winter, include accountancy, tax planning, farm tenancies and agricultural compliance.

Although Young Farmers Clubs are open to those with no direct connection to agriculture, members who do take up farming roles can learn a great deal from the agri-business programmes,” Chloe said. 

“We encourage all our members to attend the whole programme if they can,” she added. “Even those who are not working in farming or going into an agricultural role can benefit from the sessions and learn a lot.”

Chloe said Devon YFC is grateful for the support of NFU Mutual in helping to stage the cyber crime event.