We rely on information technology and other systems to transmit financial information of consumers making cashless transactions and to provide accounting and inventory management services to our customers. As such, the information we transmit and/or maintain is exposed to the ever-evolving threat of compromised security, in the form of a risk of potential breach, system failure, computer virus, cyber-attack or unauthorized or fraudulent use by consumers, customers, company employees, or employees of third party vendors. While we have implemented various cybersecurity defense mechanisms and risk management initiatives, there can be no assurance that such mechanisms and initiatives will be effective, and may experience a cybersecurity breach. A cybersecurity breach of our informational technology systems, or those of third parties upon whom we rely, could result in disclosure of confidential information and intellectual property, or cause operational disruptions and compromised data. We may be unable to anticipate or prevent techniques to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems because they change frequently and often are not detected until after an incident has occurred. Further, cybersecurity attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, including through emerging AI technologies, which may intensify or exacerbate cybersecurity risks or introduce new risks.
In addition, our processing systems may experience errors, interruptions, delays or damage from a number of causes, including, but not limited to, power outages, hardware, software and network failures, internal design, manual or usage errors, terrorism, workplace violence or wrongdoing, catastrophic events, climate-related events such as natural disasters and severe weather conditions. The steps we take to deter and mitigate these risks, including annual validation of our compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, may not be successful, and any resulting compromise or loss of data or systems could adversely impact the marketplace acceptance of our products and services, and could result in significant remedial expenses to not only assess and repair any damage to our systems, but also to reimburse customers for losses that occur from service interruptions or the fraudulent use of confidential data. Additionally, we could become subject to significant fines, litigation, and loss of reputation, potentially impacting our financial results.
Furthermore, the technology systems of businesses that we have acquired, or may acquire, as well as their practices related to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of data, could present issues that we were not able to identify prior to the acquisition or other issues that continue to pose risk to use, such as cybersecurity vulnerabilities or past cybersecurity or privacy incidents. Following an acquisition, we take steps to ensure our data and system security protection measures cover the acquired business as part of our integration process. As such, there may be a period of increased cybersecurity risk during the period between closing an acquisition and the completion of our data and system security integration. Furthermore, despite these efforts, especially in light of increasingly sophisticated techniques used in cybersecurity attacks, our information technology systems and those of third parties with who we do business or communicate may be damaged, disrupted, or shut down due to attacks by unauthorized access, malicious software, computer viruses, undetected intrusion, hardware failures, or other events and in these circumstances where we cannot fully anticipate, detect, repel, or implement fully effective preventative measures, our disaster recovery plans may be ineffective or inadequate.