Cybersecurity in smart agriculture: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Agriculture is essential because of the current and future challenges related to food that our society must face. Agriculture is a precious resource (asset), and problems with agriculture can lead to famine and migration crises that destabilize a society. Smart agriculture can increase productivity and crop yield with new operating and business models. Smart agriculture relies on information and communication technology (ICT). However, a cyberattack on a country’s agricultural ICT can jeopardize an entire nation. In light of the aforementioned challenges and threats, this research presents a systematic literature review (SLR) to address the lack of a comprehensive review of the literature on cybersecurity in smart agriculture. This SLR analyzes 58 documents extracted from Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore. The main findings on cybersecurity in smart agriculture encompass the challenges of cybersecurity in agriculture, the detection of attacks and intrusions, the evaluation of case studies, the assessment of frameworks, and the analysis of applied models. Organizations should also train their employees to recognize and respond to cyber threats. In addition, organizations should invest in cybersecurity processes, equipment, and training. The main contribution of this SLR is the consolidation of results to identify research findings, research gaps, and trends in cybersecurity in smart agriculture. The intended audience for this article includes researchers, farmers, and agribusinesses who may utilize frameworks, models, case studies, or emerging technologies in smart agriculture with the objective of mitigating or preventing cybersecurity threats.