We manufacture and sell products that rely upon software and computer systems to operate properly and process and store confidential information. Our products often are connected to, and reside within, our customers' information technology ("IT") infrastructures. In some jurisdictions, we are expected to design our products to include appropriate cybersecurity protections, and regulatory authorities may review such protections when granting marketing authorizations. While we seek to protect our products and IT systems from unauthorized access, these measures may not be effective, particularly because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently, increase in sophistication, and often are not identified at the time that they are launched against a target. These risks apply to our installed base of products, products we currently sell, new products we will introduce in the future, and older technology that we no longer sell or service but remains in use by customers. Additionally, we offer software and cloud products that are developed by, controlled by, or are hosted by third-party providers. A cybersecurity breach of our systems or products, of our customers' or service providers' network security and systems, or of other third-party services could disrupt treatment being delivered to patients or interfere with our customers' operations, and could lead to the loss of, damage to, or public disclosure of our employees' and customers' stored information, including personal data, such as individually identifiable health information ("protected health information" or "PHI"). Such an event could have serious negative consequences, including alleged customer or patient harm, obligations to notify enforcement authorities or users of our products, voluntary or forced recalls of or modifications to our products, regulatory actions, fines, penalties and damages, reduced demand for or use of our offerings by customers, harm to our reputation, and time-consuming and expensive litigation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
There are increasingly large volumes of information, including patient data, being generated that need to be securely processed and stored by healthcare organizations. There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of the cybersecurity threats we and our service providers face, and we expect these activities to continue to increase. Geopolitical tensions or conflicts, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the increased adoption of AI technologies, may further heighten the risk of cyber-attacks. Additionally, leveraging AI capabilities to potentially improve internal functions and operations presents further risks and challenges, including the possibility of creating new attack methods for adversaries. The use of AI to support business operations carries inherent risks related to data privacy, IP, and security, such as intended, unintended, or inadvertent transmission of proprietary, confidential, or sensitive information, as well as challenges related to implementing and maintaining AI tools, such as developing and maintaining appropriate datasets for such support. If we fail to implement adequate safeguards, the use of AI may introduce additional operational vulnerabilities by producing inaccurate outcomes based on flaws in the underlying data or methodologies, or unintended results.
Furthermore, we may also be exposed to a more significant risk if such actions are taken by state or state-affiliated actors. The objectives of these cyber-attacks vary widely and may include, among other things, unauthorized access to personal, customer, or third-party information, disruptions in operations and the provision of services to customers, or theft of IP or other sensitive assets or information belonging to us, our business partners, or customers. As such attacks become more effective, the risks in this area continue to grow. The back-up systems we have in place may not be adequate in the event of a failure or interruption. We may not have current capabilities to identify all vulnerabilities, which may allow others to exploit persistent potential exposures within our IT systems and products. We could suffer significant business disruption, including transaction errors, supply chain or manufacturing interruptions, processing inefficiencies, data loss, loss of customers, reputational damage, the loss of or damage to IP or other proprietary information, litigation, investigation, and possible liability to employees, customers, suppliers, patients, and regulatory authorities as a result of a successful cyber-attack. Further, our ability to effectively plan, forecast, and execute our business plan and comply with applicable laws and regulations may be impaired by such cyber-attacks. Any of the above could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects, and on the timeliness of reporting our operating results.
We rely on software, SaaS, hardware, and other material components from a number of third parties to manufacture our products. If a material cyber incident impacting a supplier were to result in its prolonged inability to use, manufacture and/or ship such components, this could impact our ability to manufacture and/or use our products. In addition, third-party sourced software components, malicious code, or a critical vulnerability emerging within such software could expose our customers to increased cyber risk. While we have undertaken efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks, these efforts may not prevent all incidents.
If we were to experience a significant cybersecurity breach of our information systems or data, the costs associated with the investigation, remediation, and potential notification of the breach to customers, regulators, and counterparties, as well as any related litigation expenses, fines, penalties, or damages, could be material. In addition, our remediation efforts may not be successful. The data privacy and IT security insurance coverage we currently maintain may be inadequate. In addition, the market for such insurance continues to evolve and, in the future, our data privacy and IT security insurance coverage may be prohibitively expensive or not available on acceptable terms or in sufficient amounts, or at all.