Losing field data maps and other files, not to mention business and employee records, could become a big problem.

In today’s global environment there are more threats to data than ever. One of them is ransomware. That’s when a hacker gains access to a company’s system and encrypts all its files, then demands a ransom before the owner can regain access.

A 2021 survey of 463 Canadian companies conducted by Telus showed 83 per cent reported an attempted ransomware attack. Most of the surveyed companies reported not just one, but multiple attacks. That was three years ago, and things haven’t improved.

The report concluded this is also a problem for small companies. Seventy-one per cent of the companies surveyed working in the agricultural sector reported being attacked, making that group one of the most frequently targeted.

LISTEN: The Cyber-Savvy Farmer

One of the top ways criminals gain access is through fake emails containing dangerous attachments, according to the survey.

“Be very, very careful with email,” agrees cybersecurity expert Brennan Schmidt, a principle of AlEUS Consulting Group. “That’s a popular place this tends to happen — through email.”

Criminals often do research into an organization before targeting it, says the report. That can include learning about who works there and how much money the company could afford to pay as a ransom to have their files restored. So, emails could sound legitimate and even include employee names or familiar information to convince someone to open a file that creates a path into an organization’s data files.

While having backups is an important aspect to protecting files against ransomware attacks, just where and how those files are stored is important.

“In a lot of cases backups are so, so important, especially off-line backups,” says Schmidt. “They’re going to be helpful for getting things restored.

“The thing is these cyber tricksters are very eager to go after backups. If folks have elected to go with a backup on the network. In some cases, they (criminals) will scour the network and make sure to hit the backups too.”

Schmidt says cloud services like Microsoft 365 are a consideration for farm organizations to use for backing up data, because they offer enhanced protection from cyberattacks.

“It’s a lot more difficult to delete or alter. For a farming operation you’d likely want to think about going with something that’s a bit more commercial grade (than iCloud. Especially if you have multiple employees, you don’t want to be using that consumer grade service for that larger scale. There are a whole host of them.”

But even those cloud services aren’t immune from cyberattacks. The number of attacks against them has been on the rise, according to the Telus report.

Because farms often use digital files from other services, like agronomy firms, it’s possible for an attack to come through a vulnerability in their systems.

“When you go with a specific supplier or vendor, you’re really beholden to how well the vendor has designed its systems to be safe,” says Schmidt.

Paying a ransom to a cybercriminal doesn’t guarantee you’ll get your files back. Only 42 per cent of those in the Telus survey who reported being attacked claimed they got all their data back after paying a ransom. Seven per cent didn’t get anything. Over 60 per cent were victimized again.

There are other non-criminal ways to lose data as well, such as a fire in a farm office where a computer and backups are kept, or just a simple computer failure.

Schmidt says there is value in having everyone in the farm organization sit down and discuss how to deal with a loss of data.

“A handful of folks that are part of the same operation get together at the same table to facilitate an exercise where you ask a series of questions, if this was to happen, what do you have in place to respond to that? A lot of times when you do those activities, you find there are a lot of gaps that can be shored up.

“For producers, I think tabletops are a great way to say I have all of this technology here and if it went down, here’s how we would go about doing a backup operation.”

Working to avoid being a victim is the first step to protecting data. Training employees to be suspicious of emails and attachments, as well as using multi-factor authentication for online access are good starting points.

Schmidt adds that keeping some systems separate can be helpful.

“Try to get away from plugging things into networks for them to work. For example, if you have a camera you use to watch cattle or something. It might be better to get that on a separate network

“It really comes down to simple things folks don’t generally tend to do.”

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At the same time, farmers have taken the initiative to prevent theft through increased vigilance and investments in cameras, lighting and more.

Together, these factors seem to be making a little dent in Prairie farm crime. Anecdotally, there seem to be fewer media reports about grain theft and some other types of farm theft this year, and there’s also data from one Prairie province showing some kinds of farm theft are staying steady.

Before we look at that data, though, let’s remember that stats on farm crime are hard to come by.

Police resources are obviously focused on front-line crime prevention and dealing with crimes, leaving less time for detailed analysis of crime categories. Consequently, as Alberta RCMP analysts explain, they can’t determine “whether a theft occurred at a farm, where the farm was located in terms of proximity to an urban center, or specifically what the theft was, without a file review of all of the theft files” in the province (around 7,000 cases in 2024 so far by September).

Similarly, Saskatchewan RCMP reports that providing data on frequency trends and circumstances around farm theft is not possible, as it would require extensive file review.

However, Manitoba RCMP can offer a few insights. Planning analyst Laurel Illchuk did a search related to ‘farm’ in theft data from 2022, 2023 and 2024 year-to-date (YTD) to Sept. 30. However, she notes, with the small number of occurrences, a wide range of theft categories and a short time span, it’s difficult to comment on possible patterns in theft type or geographical area.

Some of the data is a little encouraging. “Overall, the number of farm theft occurrences went from 116 in 2022 to 96 in 2023,” Illchuk says. “The 2024 YTD number is at 76. With three months remaining in 2024, it is possible that the count of occurrences will be relatively the same as last year.”

At the same time, while the offence of ‘other theft under $5,000’ for Manitoba farms has remained relatively constant at 30 in 2022, 21 in 2023 and 21 in YTD 2024, the ‘theft over $5,000’ offence number is rising, from six in 2022 and 10 in 2023 to 12 by Sept. 30, 2024.

“Property that was most commonly stolen was fuel, trailers (utility, boat and other), farm equipment, motors, grain and some copper,” says Illchuk. “Theft of fuel has been declining but the number of various trailer theft occurrences is increasing.”

Occurrences of theft of grain have also declined, she says.

As for ‘theft of motor vehicles’ related to farms across Manitoba, this offence number has declined slightly over the last three years, and even more so with ‘theft of truck’ — 45 in 2022, 35 in 2023 and 24 in 2024 YTD.

That’s not to say farmers should get comfortable: overall, crime in rural areas is growing. In July 2024, for example, the Saskatchewan RCMP stated that compared to 2014, 2023 data shows that some of the rural parts of the province were seeing violent crime rates six times higher than in urban areas.

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), a Manitoba general farm group, also noted last year that rural crime is increasing in Manitoba. In Altona, for example, property crime was up 37 per cent in 2023 compared to 2013.

Alberta

In Alberta, to support farmers and others in rural areas, the Alberta Sheriffs service has been expanded in both number and capability.

“Two new rural surveillance teams are working to prevent crime, monitor agricultural theft and collaborate with local law enforcement to share intelligence and resources to keep Albertans and their property safe and secure,” Arthur Green, spokesperson for the ministry of public safety and emergency services, says.

The teams, one covering northern Alberta and one covering southern Alberta, are each made up of one sergeant and seven sheriffs, he says.

These surveillance teams are “helping police” gather intelligence and information on known and suspected offenders and obtain evidence that helps lead to charges in court, he says. Investigations target offenders suspected in a range of illegal activities affecting rural Alberta, such as property theft, drug trafficking and vandalism.

Using phrases like sheriffs “helping police” has, however, led to confusion among members of the public about the official status of sheriff units. In late September, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith clarified that the province now has two police forces: RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs.

Smith also stated at that time the RCMP left her government no choice but to elevate the sheriffs with more training and duties. She said at a municipal leaders’ meeting that “we pay for 1,911 RCMP officers and they have 400 or 500 vacancies. We cannot allow for rural municipalities to be under-policed and so we have trained up our sheriffs so they have the same training as police.” (Note: Alberta RCMP have since stated there are 306 vacancies provincewide.)

Because of RCMP deficiencies, Smith said, the community of Grande Prairie has replaced the RCMP with its own police force, and that about 20 other communities are interested in going that route.

Trespassing and more

And while it seems like a problem from a TV show set a century ago, fugitives of the law are still a concern in Prairie provinces. These criminals can very easily show up on farms to commit theft — or worse, because they are on the run and can get cornered, could be desperate enough to interact directly with farmers, their family members and/or employees.

To address this, earlier this year the Alberta government created FASST (Fugitive Apprehension Sheriffs Support Team) to help police services find and arrest high-priority individuals on the lam. In its first seven months of operation, FASST executed more than 1,300 warrants and made over 300 arrests, Green says.

FASST’s operational jurisdiction includes all of rural Alberta, Green explains. He adds that “members of FASST are also trained and equipped for Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence (RAPID) response functions, meaning they’re available to answer requests for assistance from the RCMP on high-priority calls.” The RAPID Response initiative has also received funding for members of the Sheriff Highway Patrol to be trained and equipped to assist the RCMP with emergencies and high-priority calls. Since the expansion of the authorities of the Patrol in 2021, sheriffs have removed more than 4,700 impaired drivers from provincial highways.

And similarly to how fugitives may trespass and commit crimes on farms, those involved with drug activities are also now present in greater numbers in rural areas and may also impact farmers through theft and other means. The Alberta government said it has therefore also expanded the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit, which targets ‘problem properties’ associated with drug trafficking and more.

In October 2024, Smith and Cindy Woodhouse, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations also released a joint statement urging federal support for a national First Nations and Inuit policing program.

Alberta has allocated over $22.5 million to support policing in First Nation communities, including $12.2 million for three First Nation police services. Additionally, the Indigenous and Municipal Police Transition Study Grant is enabling several Indigenous communities to explore policing options that best meet their needs.

Saskatchewan

Similarly, Saskatchewan is now creating a provincial Marshals Service (SMS) with a focus on agricultural crime such as theft of livestock, metal and chemicals, but also gang- and drug-related crimes involving illegal weapons and more.

SMS is expected to start operating as early as mid-2025, with 70 officers plus about 30 support staff in areas such as records management, procurement and logistics.

SMS will have its first regional headquarters in Prince Albert, with locations for field offices now being determined. Chief Marshal Rob Cameron says he and his team are getting closer to final location decisions.

“We used government of Saskatchewan data scientists and also used Statistics Canada information and localized datasets from other law enforcement agencies,” he says. “Our goal is to address organized crime and gang activity, illegal guns, drugs and trafficking, but we’re also looking to cover as much of the province as we can — to look at the provincial crime picture and have as much impact as we can. We want to provide policing enhancements to all areas of the province.”

In terms of how SMS will aim to reduce rural crime, Cameron says it’s the extra boots on the ground that will be a big part of reducing all types of crimes in all areas of Saskatchewan.

He stresses “SMS is also going to be part of a collaborative approach. We’ve been having a lot of meetings about how that collaborations should happen and how the SMS should be used. We’re getting great ideas on how we can be a force multiplier.”

Manitoba

As in Alberta, there are complaints in Manitoba that rural crime is rising because there aren’t enough RCMP officers. Several municipalities, such as Carberry and the Rural Municipality of North Cypress-Langford have asked federal and provincial justice ministers for increased RCMP presence.

In October this year, the Rivers Police Service (serving the town of Rivers and the Riverdale area, about 30 km north of Brandon) was shut down, after a century of operation, without any local input. The area will now be covered by RCMP in the region, but many residents want that local police force restored.

The province is looking at various solutions and has decided so far to roll out a ‘peace officer’ program for municipalities to use as they see fit. There’s also a Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP), which boasts about 40 chapters so far in rural Manitoba. A COPP chapter was launched in February at Vita, a southeastern community presently policed by nine RCMP officers at the Emerson-Morris detachment, about 45 minutes’ drive from Vita.

Successful applicants, once trained and provided with high-visibility vests and signage, patrol and submit information on suspicious activity to local police. CTV reported in February 2024 that residents in Grunthal, which had started a COPP group three months before, were already noticing a reduction in criminal activity.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities has called for more funding for municipal police, and KAP has been actively seeking commitments from various levels of government to address the problem of rural crime for a long time.

“Increasing the resources allotted to law enforcement, including RCMP and the relevant municipal bodies, to address rising crime rates should be the top priority for government,” KAP president Jill Verwey says.

There continue to be reports of all types of items stolen from farms in many rural areas, she says, “whether it be vehicles, grain, livestock, equipment, and break and enters into the homes of producers, where their personal possessions and valuables are stolen. We are committed to working with our members, law enforcement and other government bodies to assist in tracking these instances to hopefully identify any patterns or common trends to reduce their occurrences.”

KAP is also working with members on crime prevention.

The key to success

While police forces are being enhanced across the Prairies, farmers and other property owners should be — and are — taking their own actions to protect their property and themselves from criminals.

Those farmers who are keeping themselves out of the statistics understand the simple key to success: multiple layers of protection. Multiple barriers reduce the chances of a criminal’s success and increase the chances of being caught, causing thieves to go elsewhere.

Carolyn McTighe, RCMP Southern Alberta district crime prevention liaison, advises that rural property owners should invest in good lighting, in particular LED motion-activated lights, as well as security cameras and sturdy disc locks for sheds and other outbuildings.

“Maintaining a secure property perimeter is also important, so the installation of fencing and lockable gates is always ideal in limiting unauthorized access,” she says. “It is also essential to store equipment and fuel securely, and make regular checks of your property, so you can ensure that there is no overgrowth of vegetation, which may obscure visibility. Clear security signage around the property can also act as a strong deterrent, as it indicates CCTV surveillance or the presence of other security measures.”

Saskatchewan RCMP advise the same ideas, but for farmers specifically, they highlight the need to make trespassing unattractive and suggest installing monitored security or alarm systems.

“Transport hay bales and livestock to locations where monitoring can happen, if possible,” a spokesperson says. “Move all equipment indoors. If this is not possible, store it in a well-lit area visible from your house but out of sight from the main roads. Keep an inventory of your equipment that includes descriptions, serial numbers, makes, models and pictures.”

Remember also to closely check locks regularly. Thieves have learned to cut off padlocks and replace them with similar locks of their own, coming back at another time to do the actual theft.

You could put inexpensive custom-made stickers on your padlocks, or use locks that are bolt cutter-resistant.

To prevent vehicle theft, never leave valuables inside, and always remove keys (and any garage door openers), then lock the doors. You should also install an electronic anti-theft system if your vehicle does not have one, and/or use a physical system such as a steering wheel lock.

Many farmers have already put in multiple barriers against grain theft, including camera systems (including 180- and 360-degree cameras) that send alerts if movement is detected or if there is tampering. Make sure your camera feeds have good lighting (flood lights that come on with motion detection) or use infrared cameras. Today’s cameras can be set to automatically zoom in, record to a cloud network and much more.

Reduce entry points to your grain storage area to on by installing fences, deep ditches or some other type of barrier at other points. Turn off the electrical unloading systems at your bins after use and check regularly for signs of tampering,

If you don’t know your current neighbours, get to know them and establish a solid reciprocating relationship to watch over each other’s properties, especially if one of you is away.

Lastly, make it easy for employees or family members to look after security. Create a document detailing how to check each blocked access point, check locks at all lock locations (including pictures and serial numbers of locks), how to check camera systems, and so on.

Report it all

All police forces also implore farmers and everyone else to report all crimes, even if they are small. This gives officers a clearer picture of the types and numbers of crimes occurring in their areas and to adjust accordingly.

And do it right away. As Verwey says, “it is imperative that farmers work with law enforcement and report these crimes when they take place.”

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Country Guard Security, based in Devon, Alta., specializes in protecting farms and acreages against property crimes and has clients across Alberta. The owner, Guy Spiro, who set up the business 15 years ago after serving in the military, says he has seen a dramatic increase in farm thefts since the beginning of the pandemic.

“When I first started, the reports were minimal,” he says. “You’d hear a story from an area once or twice a year. Now, since (the pandemic), it’s more like once a week.”

According to Spiro, most farm thefts are petty crime, involving easy-to-steal things like fuel, tools, bicycles and quads. Thefts occur year-round both during the day and at night, although there is a slowdown in very cold weather, which is usually followed by an uptick in crime in warmer spring conditions.

Spiro sees two common patterns of rural crime. One is the opportunistic, unplanned, snatch-and-grab variety. The other is planned and typically follows one or more visits by thieves who scope out properties along a certain route.

Spiro has more than 300 different pieces of technology that can be used both for perimeter protection and in farm buildings to discourage thieves. Sirens, flashing lights, yard lights, video cameras, motion detectors, monitors, infrared sensors, silent alerts and remote reporting tools are all in the security expert’s tool bag.

Often, rural criminals make a list of properties to target and will hit several of them in one night. “If they’re scoping six properties, you want your place at the bottom of their list. Make it difficult for them. You want them thinking, ‘This place has just too many obstacles,’” Spiro says.

Spiro considers community action as the first line of defense against rural thieves. Because it takes time for police to respond to calls in rural areas, Spiro advises farmers to participate in an alert system with nearby neighbours, which can easily be set up on a social media network like Facebook. This way, by sharing surveillance footage or reporting a suspicious-looking vehicle, for example, farmers can rely on each other to help keep their rural neighbourhoods safe.

“Less crime happens when people have a higher awareness,” says Spiro. “Criminals won’t be aware of it, but as soon as they go into an area like that, they will sense it. They can see that people are out there, watching and alert, and they’ll go somewhere else.”

New crime watch app for Alberta

The Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association (APRCWA) has developed an app with the help of provincial RCMP that enables farmers to use their smartphones to report suspicious and criminal activities anywhere in rural Alberta. It was released for public use on the Apple and Google app stores last December.

The app uses GPS data to identify the nearest RCMP detachment and provides contact information and links so reports can be submitted either over the phone or online. There’s also an option to include photos of lost or stolen property if you wish.

According to APRCWA, the reports will build up a database to assist Alberta RCMP with analyzing crimes and possibly help lead investigators to chronic offenders.

The rural crime watch app has other features like RCMP boundary maps, safety tips and news bulletins from APRCWA. It also has a social services section with names and numbers for reporting urgent needs such as abuse, bullying, and suicide prevention and other mental health issues.

APRCWA president Cor De Wit encourages all rural Albertans to try the new app, which he says is part of a new direction for the grassroots organization that began in the 1980s.

“We try to appeal to young and beginning farmers, to acreage owners and small-town residents. We don’t stop crime in progress or go out to catch criminals. We are proactive. If something is suspicious or strange, we report it,” says De Wit.

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