DevSec Managing Director Kristin Del Rosso presented at the annual LabsCON conference in Scottsdale Arizona on September 19, 2024.

LABScon is an intimate event for the world’s top cybersecurity minds to gather, share cutting-edge research, and push the envelope of threat landscape understanding.  Kristin’s presentation along with Madeleine Devost from Nisos was her 3rd straight year presenting original research during the keynote day of the event.  Previous presentations including tracking illicit assets of Russian oligarchs and an eye opening analysis of China’s vulnerability disclosure system.

Farmyard Gossip: The Foreign Footprint in U.S. Agriculture

Who really owns America’s farmland, and why does it matter? Join us for a deep dive into the secretive world of foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land. This talk will explore the growing trend of foreign ownership, which has surged by 50% since 2017, and its profound implications for national security. Using the USDA’s data, we’ll shed light on how these investments could potentially impact everything from local economies to national defense.

We’ll dive into the complexities of the USDA’s data collection methods, revealing how manual processes and outdated systems obscure the true extent of foreign ownership. We’ll also discuss the critical role of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in safeguarding national interests, and the urgent need for improved data sharing and automation between CFIUS and the USDA.

Through real-life examples, including controversial land purchases near sensitive military sites, we’ll illustrate the potential risks and propose actionable recommendations to enhance transparency and security.

For more information on LabsCON visit LabsCON.io