We rely on information systems across our operations and corporate functions, including finance and accounting, and depend on such systems to ensure payment of obligations, collection of cash, data warehousing to support analytics, and other various processes and procedures. Our ability to manage our business depends significantly on the reliability and capacity of these systems. The failure of these systems to operate effectively, maintenance problems, failures or delays in upgrading or transitioning to new platforms, or a breach in security of these systems, such as in the event of cyber-attacks, malicious internet-based activity, online and offline fraud, and administrative or technical failures and other similar activities that threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our information technology systems, including those of the third parties upon which we rely, could result in the theft of intellectual property, personal information or personal property, damage to our reputation and third-party claims, as well as reduced efficiency in our operations and in the accuracy of our internal and external financial reporting. A failure or weakness in our information systems (or those of the third parties upon which we rely) could materially and adversely affect us, and the remediation of any such problems could result in significant unplanned expenditures.
Our reliance on vendors could introduce new cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, and other threats to our business operations. We engage a variety of vendors to process and store data, some of which may be private or include personally identifiable information. We also depend on vendors to host certain of our systems and infrastructure. Our ability to monitor these vendors' information security practices is limited, and these vendors may not have adequate information security measures in place. If our vendors experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience adverse consequences, including harm to our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We and the third parties upon which we rely may be subject to a variety of evolving threats, including but not limited to social-engineering attacks (including through phishing attacks), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), malware (including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), denial-of-service attacks (such as credential stuffing), credential harvesting, personnel misconduct or error, ransomware attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or hardware failures, loss of data or other information technology assets, adware, telecommunications failures, earthquakes, fires, floods, and other similar threats. In particular, severe ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly prevalent and can lead to significant interruptions in our operations, loss of sensitive data and income, reputational harm, and diversion of funds. Extortion payments may alleviate the negative impact of a ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such payments due to, for example, applicable laws or regulations prohibiting such payments. While we have implemented security measures designed to protect against security incidents, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective. We take steps designed to detect, mitigate, and remediate vulnerabilities in our information systems. We may not, however, detect and remediate all such vulnerabilities including on a timely basis. Further, we may experience delays in developing and deploying remedial measures designed to address any such identified vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities could be exploited and result in a security incident.
Applicable data privacy and security obligations may require us to notify relevant stakeholders of security incidents. Such disclosures are costly, and the disclosure or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to adverse consequences. If we (or a third party upon whom we rely) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may experience adverse consequences. These consequences may include: government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing sensitive data (including personal data); litigation (including class claims); indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; interruptions in our operations (including availability of data); financial loss; and other similar harms. Security incidents and attendant consequences may prevent or cause customers to stop using our services, deter new customers from using our services, and negatively impact our ability to grow and operate our business.