PANEL DISCUSSION | Cybersecurity in UNECE R155 Agricultural relevant Vehicles
As agricultural machinery becomes increasingly connected and automated, cybersecurity has emerged as a critical factor for safety, compliance, and operational resilience. This panel discussion at SOS 2025 will explore the potential implications of the UNECE R155 regulation for agricultural-relevant vehicles, examining best practices, challenges, and strategies for implementing robust cybersecurity measures.
Industry experts will share insights on regulatory requirements, product security processes, and real-world experiences in protecting agricultural equipment against emerging cyber threats, helping manufacturers, operators, and stakeholders stay ahead in an evolving regulatory landscape.
About the Speakers:
Nicolas Hummel is a Digitization Expert at VDMA Agricultural Machinery (since 2023), where he focuses on the development and standardization of interoperability standards, as well as safety and cybersecurity frameworks. He actively contributes to international standardization through ISO/TC 23/SC 19, helping drive the digital transformation of agricultural machinery.
John Potter worked at John Deere for nearly 30 years. His last major role there was leading the development of next generation product security for embedded devices. Currently he works for Iowa State University, John Deere and DG Tech – helping development next generation (mostly agricultural) vehicle network architectures and security.
Hans Juergen Nissen is the Manager Solution Controls Strategy at John Deere’s Global Production Systems Organization, where he drives global strategies advancing solutions from automation to autonomy, with a focus on safety, security, and multi-brand integration.
Since joining John Deere in 1997, he has held leadership roles in precision farming, systems engineering, and automation & electrohydraulics, contributing to the development of intelligent machine systems and control solutions worldwide.
Beyond his corporate work, Hans-Jürgen has been a leading voice in ISOBUS standardization for over two decades. He chaired the ISO/SC19 Agricultural & Forestry Electronics Committee (2010–2019) and the AEF Automation Team (2008–2019), earning the VDI Max von Eyth Recognition Award (2011) for his contributions to agricultural technology.
Alex Roberts is the Director of Product Security, bringing over 20 years of experience in engineering and cybersecurity. He holds a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Wichita State University and spent a decade testing hardware and firmware for a major storage manufacturer before transitioning to the agriculture industry.
For the past decade, Alex has focused on implementing product security practices in agricultural machinery, most recently leading preparations for the RED and CRA cybersecurity legislation in Europe. His work ensures that connected agricultural systems meet the highest standards of safety, compliance, and resilience.
Leonhard Stutz is a Development Engineer at CLAAS, where he supports product development teams with expertise in cybersecurity. With more than 12 years of experience in the agricultural sector and nearly five years at CLAAS, he specializes in securing digital systems within agricultural machinery.
He is an active contributor to international standardization and industry collaboration, serving as a member of ISO/TC 23/SC 19/JWG 12 in the development of ISO 24882, and participating in cybersecurity working groups within AEF and CEMA. Leonhard holds an academic background in Bioinformatics, bringing a strong interdisciplinary perspective to his work at the intersection of agriculture, technology, and security.
Brad Nielsen is the Vehicle Cybersecurity Architecture Lead at CNH Industrial, bringing more than 36 years of experience in machine electrical engineering and product security. Throughout his career at CNH, Brad has held multiple roles spanning machine product cybersecurity, machine communications standardization, diagnostic tool and protocol development, and machine control systems design.
He currently leads the authoring team for the ISO 24882 Off-Road Cybersecurity Standard and serves as the Security Expert Team Lead for the Agricultural Electronics Foundation (AEF). His expertise is centered on advancing connected vehicle security, ensuring robust protections across agricultural and off-road machinery.