Even Ireland's milking parlours are not safe from computer hackers

The ageing population of farmers can also leave agriculture more vulnerable to what is becoming a relentless onslaught of cyberattacks worldwide

Farms are growing more high tech but half of farmers say concerns about cybersecurity are the biggest obstacle to digitalisation of agriculture.

As cybersecurity companies report a 30% year-on-year increase in cyber attacks globally, reaching 1,636 attacks per organisation per week, the victims have inevitably included some farmers.

In the US, the FBI has reported an 8.2% increase in ransomware attacks in the USA's agricultural sector. In surveys, almost half of farmers say concerns about cybersecurity are the biggest obstacle to digitalisation of agriculture.