According to the National Cyber Security Centre, over 100 companies’ smart irrigation systems were found to be online without password protection.
A security firm had tested how easy it would be for cyber criminals to tamper with their water systems. By not changing the default settings on their smart devices, they potentially leave their irrigation open to attack.
The knock-on effect of a cyber attack may involve interference with irrigation for crops, tree plantations, cities and building complexes.
We have free resources to help SMEs and large organisations improve their cyber resilience on our website https://www.nebrcentre.co.uk/resources-1 while the NCSC have specific guidance on securing smart devices here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/connecting-smart-devices-with-confidence