Security and Privacy Issues in the Internet of Cows

This chapter discusses some of the potential security and privacy risks involved when Internet of Things (IoT) devices and cyber‐physical systems (CPSs) are used to manage livestock. IoT‐enabled technologies give the farmer the ability to track the location, exposure, medication, feeds, and diseases of each individual animal over its lifetime and to trace problems from fork back to farm. The chapter also discusses how it is important for dairymen to balance their cattle's intake of high‐fiber and high‐energy feeds to maintain the health of the animal while maximizing milk production. The base set of security concepts includes the following: data confidentiality, data integrity, system availability and system safety. The chapter offers two types of recommendations to enhance security and privacy of CPSs in agriculture: technical considerations for CPSs and IoT developers during the architecture and design phases of product development; and policy and operational considerations for farmers, their partner organizations, researchers, and regulatory authorities.