Poor computer security could let hackers break into the federal agency that compiles crop forecasts for commodity traders, according to a government audit. The National Agricultural Statistics Service's computers "are vulnerable to cyber-related attacks, jeopardizing the integrity and confidentiality of NASS' . . . . Poor computer security could let hackers break into the federal agency that compiles crop forecasts for commodity traders, according to a government audit. The National Agricultural Statistics Service's computers "are vulnerable to cyber-related attacks, jeopardizing the integrity and confidentiality of NASS' critical economic data," the audit said. NASS, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, collects crop data and issues forecasts that are closely watched by commodity traders and farmers. The data are supposed to be a closely guarded secret until their release date--otherwise unscrupulous traders could use the data to profit at the expense of other investors. This reminds me of the movie "Trading Places" with Dan Akroid and Eddie Murphy. The link for this article located at Chicago Tribune is no longer available. . Inadequate cybersecurity measures are placing the government department responsible for agricultural predictions at risk of cyber threats, as assessments indicate.. Crop Data Security,Cyber Threats in Agriculture,Federal Agency Security,Data Integrity Audits. . Anthony Pell
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