Cyber Security Risks in Norwegian Agriculture and the Influence on National Food Security

Abstract

This master’s thesis investigates how cybersecurity risks in the Norwegian agricultural sector influence national food security and self-sufficiency, and what strategies can be implemented to address these challenges. This study adopts a qualitative approach, relying on in-depth interviews with informants from three key groups in the agricultural value chain: farmers and producers, researchers and experts, and agricultural technology providers. The thesis identifies weaknesses in the increasingly digital agricultural sector, revealing a notable disparity in cybersecurity standards across different parts of the value chain. While larger organizations and IT suppliers tend to implement comprehensive security protocols, farms and smaller organizations often lack sufficient cybersecurity measures.

The findings indicate that Norwegian agriculture has undergone significant digitization, which has improved efficiency but also introducing new risks. Digital tools such as milking robots, feeding-, and reporting systems have become essential for daily operations, making the sector more vulnerable to cyber threats. The study also highlights the absence of clear contingency plans and the lack of defined responsibilities across the value chain as critical factors. The thesis categorizes the impact of cyber-attacks on food security into three levels: the micro level which concerns the individual farm or producer; the meso level, which involves larger, socially critical organizations, and the macro level which pertains the national food supply capacity. Past incidents, such as the 2021 cyber-attack on Nortura, illustrate how disruptions to critical organizations can destabilize the entire value chain and temporary reduce national food supply.

The thesis concludes that cybersecurity threats represent a growing and serious risk to Norway’s food security and its ability to achieve self-sufficiency during crisis. This is particularly concerning given the country’s already limited degree of self-sufficiency. The thesis emphasizes the need for improved contingency planning and stronger security protocols across all segments of the agricultural value chain. By addressing the conflict between digitization and food security, this study contributes to the broader literature on critical infrastructure and risk management and underscores the importance of balancing technological advancements with robust cybersecurity measures to protect domestic food security.