ACNB (ACNB) Risk Factors

The unpredictable nature of events such as severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism (international or domestic), geopolitical risks/events, and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on ACNB's ability to conduct business. If any of its financial, accounting, network or other information processing systems fail or have other significant shortcomings due to external events, ACNB could be materially adversely affected. Third parties with which ACNB does business could also be sources of operational risk to ACNB, including the risk that the third parties' own network and information processing systems could fail. Any of these occurrences could materially diminish ACNB's ability to operate one or more of the Corporation's businesses, or result in potential liability to customers, reputational damage, and regulatory intervention, any of which could materially adversely affect ACNB. Such events could affect the stability of ACNB's deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, impair ACNB's liquidity, cause significant property damage, result in loss of revenue, and/or cause ACNB to incur additional expenses. ACNB may be subject to disruptions or failures of the financial, accounting, network and/or other information processing systems arising from events that are wholly or partially beyond ACNB's control, which may include, for example, computer viruses, electrical or telecommunications outages, natural disasters, disease pandemics, damage to property or physical assets, or terrorist acts. ACNB has developed a comprehensive business continuity plan which includes plans to maintain or resume operations in the event of an emergency, such as a power outage or disease pandemic, and contingency plans in the event that operations or systems cannot be resumed or restored. The business continuity plan is updated as needed, periodically reviewed, and components are regularly tested. ACNB also reviews and evaluates the business continuity plans of critical third-party service providers. While ACNB believes its business continuity plan and efforts to evaluate the business continuity plans of critical third-party service providers help mitigate risks, disruptions or failures affecting any of these systems may cause interruptions in service to customers, damage to ACNB's reputation, and loss or liability to the Corporation.

The capital and credit markets may experience extreme volatility and disruption. In the past, in some cases, the markets have exerted downward pressure on stock prices, security prices, and credit capacity for certain issuers without regard to those issuers' underlying financial strength. In addition, other conditions and factors that could materially adversely affect ACNB's liquidity and funding including a lack of market or customer confidence in, or negative news about, ACNB or the financial services industry generally which also may result in a loss of deposits and/or negatively affect ACNB's ability to access the capital markets; the loss of customer deposits to alternative investments; counterparty availability; interest rate fluctuations; general economic conditions; and the legal, regulatory, accounting and tax environments governing ACNB's funding transactions. Many of the above conditions and factors may be caused by events over which ACNB has little or no control. There can be no assurance that significant disruption and volatility in the financial markets will not occur in the future. Further, ACNB's customers may be adversely impacted by such conditions, which could have a negative impact on ACNB's business, financial condition and results of operations.

ACNB and Traditions have operated and, until the completion of the merger, will continue to operate independently. The integration process could result in the loss of key employees, disruption of each company's ongoing business, and inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect either company's ability to maintain relationships with customers and employees or achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger. As with any merger of financial institutions, there also may be disruptions that cause ACNB and Traditions to lose customers or cause customers to withdraw their deposits from ACNB or Traditions, or have other unintended consequences, that could have a material adverse effect on ACNB's financial condition and results of operations.

ACNB's success depends, in large part, on its ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best people in most activities engaged in by ACNB can be intense, and ACNB may not be able to hire people or to retain them. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of ACNB's key personnel could have a material adverse impact on ACNB's business because the Corporation would no longer have the benefit of their skills, knowledge of ACNB's market, as well as years of industry experience, and it would be difficult to promptly find qualified replacement personnel.

Increasingly, financial transactions are processed electronically, both by ACNB and its customers, via online, mobile, and cloud technologies. Operational systems are progressively becoming cloud-based. Conducting business in this environment depends on secure transmission and storage of data in digital form as well as procedures and systems to prevent or ensure the resiliency against system failures, interruptions or breaches in security. As a result, ACNB is exposed to the risk of cyber-attacks in the normal course of business, which may be perpetrated against ACNB, or its third-party service providers and its customers. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. ACNB has observed an increased level of attention in the industry focused on cyber-attacks that include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. While ACNB maintains insurance coverage that may, subject to policy terms and conditions including significant self-insured deductibles, cover or ameliorate certain financial aspects of cyber risks, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses. ACNB maintains policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effects of possible security breaches of its information systems. However, the techniques used for cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, including the use of artificial intelligence, and there can be no assurance that preventive and detective measures are fail-safe. While ACNB has not incurred any material losses related to cyber-attacks, nor is it aware of any specific or threatened material cyber incidents as of the date of this report, it may incur substantial costs and suffer other negative consequences if it falls victim to successful cyber-attacks. Such negative consequences could include remediation costs that may include liability for stolen assets or information and repairing system damage that may have been caused; deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees, and engaging third-party experts and consultants; lost revenues resulting from unauthorized use of proprietary information or the failure to retain or attract customers following an attack; disruption or failures of physical infrastructure, operating systems or networks that support ACNB's business and customers resulting in the loss of customers and business opportunities; additional regulatory scrutiny and possible regulatory penalties; litigation; and, reputational damage adversely affecting customer or investor confidence.

ACNB's banking subsidiary faces substantial competition in originating both commercial and consumer loans. This competition comes principally from other banks, credit unions, mortgage banking companies, and other lenders. Many of its competitors enjoy advantages, including greater financial resources with higher lending limits, wider geographic presence, more branch office locations, the ability to offer a wider array of services or more favorable pricing alternatives, and lower origination and operating costs. This competition could reduce the Corporation's net income by decreasing the number and size of loans that its banking subsidiary originates and the interest rates it may charge on these loans. In attracting business and consumer deposits, its banking subsidiary faces substantial competition from other insured depository institutions such as banks, savings institutions, and credit unions, as well as institutions offering uninsured investment alternatives, including money market funds. Many of ACNB's competitors enjoy advantages, including greater financial resources, wider geographic presence, more aggressive marketing campaigns, better brand recognition, more branch office locations, the ability to offer a wider array of services or more favorable pricing alternatives, and lower origination and operating costs. These competitors may offer higher interest rates than ACNB, which could decrease the deposits that it attracts or require it to increase its rates to retain existing deposits or attract new deposits. Increased deposit competition could adversely affect the subsidiary's ability to generate the funds necessary for lending operations. As a result, it may need to seek other sources of funds that may be more expensive to obtain and could increase its cost of funds. ACNB's banking subsidiary also competes with nonbank providers of financial services, such as brokerage firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, insurance companies and agencies, and governmental organizations which may offer more favorable terms. Some of its nonbank competitors are not subject to the same extensive regulations that govern ACNB's banking operations. As a result, such nonbank competitors may have advantages over ACNB's banking subsidiary in providing certain products and services. This competition may reduce or limit ACNB's margins on banking services, reduce its market share, and adversely affect its earnings and financial condition.

From time to time, ACNB may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services, ACNB may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business and/or a new product or service. Furthermore, any new line of business and/or new product or service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of ACNB's system of internal controls. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business and new products or services could have a material adverse effect on ACNB's business, financial condition, and results of operations.