The Companies and other operators of critical energy infrastructure and energy market participants face a heightened risk of cyber attack and the Companies' businesses require the continued operation of information systems and network infrastructure. See Item 1 for a description of the businesses of the Utilities and Con Edison Transmission. Cyber attacks may include hacking, viruses, malware, denial of service attacks, ransomware, exploited vulnerabilities or other security incidents, including loss of data and communications and business disruption. Cyber threats in general, and in particular, to critical infrastructure, are increasing in sophistication, magnitude and frequency and the techniques used in cyber attacks change rapidly, including from emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and from nation-state and state-sponsored adversaries as well as criminal actors. Such adversaries have attacked and threatened to attack energy infrastructure and deploy significant resources and employ sophisticated methods to plan and carry out attacks. Risk of these attacks may escalate during periods of heightened geopolitical tensions. Interconnectivity with customers, independent system operators, energy traders and other energy market participants, suppliers, contractors and others also exposes the Companies' information and operational systems and network infrastructure to an increased risk of cyber incidents, including attacks. Such interconnectivity increases the risk that a cyber incident or attack on the Companies could affect others and that a cyber incident or attack on others could affect the Companies. In the event of a significant cyber incident or attack, the Companies could have their operations and the operations of their customers and others materially disrupted. The Companies could also have their financial and other information systems and network infrastructure impaired or damaged; customer and employee information stolen; experience substantial loss of revenues; incur substantial response costs and other financial losses; be subject to increased regulation, litigation and penalties; and damage to their reputation. The Companies have experienced cyber incidents and attacks in the past (such as threat actors exploiting a vulnerability in the Companies' information technology system, malicious attempts to disrupt traffic to their websites and attacks against third-party vendors used by the Companies) and expect to experience them in the future. Although none of these incidents has had a material impact on the Companies, the scope and impact of any future incident cannot be predicted. In the event of a significant cybersecurity incident or attack, the Companies' business strategy, results of operations or financial condition could be materially affected.