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Modern farm equipment collects data 24/7—even when turned off. This information has strategic value to foreign adversaries who want to understand American food production capacity. Do you know what your equipment is sharing?
What Your Equipment Collects
According to industry reports, John Deere collects machine health, efficiency, diagnostic codes, settings, software versions, attachments, hours, and lifetime data—even when the machine is turned off. Their user agreements reportedly grant them the right to turn data collection back on if you disable it.
Agricultural data reveals production capacity, technology secrets, and infrastructure vulnerabilities that foreign nations can use for economic warfare, espionage, or conflict preparation.
Farm data enables geospatial intelligence (GEOINT)—mapping production capacity, infrastructure, and supply chains. Near-daily satellite data combined with farm telemetry creates detailed "pattern of life" analysis.
Learn what data they target →The farm data market represents $20-25 billion in revenue opportunity. Your operational data, combined with millions of other farms, provides commodity market intelligence worth billions.
See the economic implications →China feeds 20% of the world's population with less than 10% of arable land. Understanding US production capacity gives them leverage in trade negotiations and strategic planning.
Understand the food security angle →Chinese cyber actors are pre-positioning in US critical infrastructure for potential conflict. Agricultural data helps identify disruption targets and map vulnerabilities.
Read China threat briefing →The uncomfortable truth: it's legally unclear, and the answer may surprise you.
"Different circumstances can make determining who owns data complicated."
— John Deere (on data ownership)
Before signing, understand what data your equipment collects and who has access. Look for data sharing, ownership, and deletion clauses.
Opt out of non-essential data collection where possible. Share only what's necessary for equipment function.
Where is your data stored? On US servers? Can you delete it? What happens when you sell equipment?
Know what's connected to your network. Review data collection settings on all equipment annually.
Separate farm operations from business/home networks. Use strong passwords and update firmware.
Track who has access to your farm data. Remove access for former employees and vendors.
Red Flags: Mandatory data sharing, unclear data ownership, foreign data storage, no opt-out option, opaque terms of service.
Detailed breakdown of the agricultural data adversaries target and why it matters.
Learn More →How your farm data enables intelligence operations and economic warfare.
Learn More →Why China's food security challenge makes your data a strategic target.
Learn More →Take our free security audit to understand what data your equipment is collecting and get personalized recommendations for protection.