Like other U.S. financial services companies, the Company has been and expects to continue to be the target of cyberattacks and other attempts to disrupt its operations. Although we devote significant resources to maintain and regularly upgrade our systems and processes that are designed to protect the security of our computer systems, software, networks, and other technology assets and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information belonging to us and our clients, there is no assurance that our security measures, or those of our external vendors, will provide absolute security. Further, to access our products and services our clients may use computers and mobile devices that are beyond our security control systems. In fact, many other financial services institutions and companies engaged in data processing have reported breaches in the security of their websites or other systems, some of which have involved sophisticated and targeted attacks intended to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems, often through the introduction of computer viruses or malware, cyberattacks, and/or malicious code, or by means of phishing attacks, deepfake-enabled attacks, social engineering, and other means.
As our reliance on technology systems and the connectivity of third parties (including contractors) and electronic devices to our systems increase, the potential risks of technology-related interruptions in our operations or the occurrence of cyber incidents, including those resulting from the malicious introduction of destructive malware or ransomware, also increase. Our technologies, systems, and networks, and those of our external vendors, as well as our customers' devices are periodically the target of cyberattacks and may be the target of future cyberattacks. Malicious actors, who are becoming increasingly sophisticated and may see their effectiveness enhanced by the use of artificial intelligence, deep-fake technologies, quantum computing and other novel technologies, may also attempt to fraudulently induce employees, customers or other users of our systems to disclose sensitive information, including passwords and other identifying information, in order to gain access to data or our systems.
Certain financial institutions in the United States have also experienced attacks from technically sophisticated and well-resourced third parties that were intended to disrupt normal business activities by making internet banking systems inaccessible to clients for extended periods. These "denial-of-service" attacks typically do not breach data security systems, but require substantial resources to defend, and may affect client satisfaction and behavior. There have been several well-publicized attacks on various companies, including in the financial services industry, and personal, proprietary, and public e-mail systems in which the perpetrators gained unauthorized access to confidential information and customer data, often through the introduction of computer viruses or malware, cyberattacks, phishing, or other means. Even if not directed at the Company or its subsidiaries specifically, attacks on other entities with whom we do business or on whom we otherwise rely or attacks on financial or other institutions or infrastructure important to the overall functioning of the financial system could adversely affect, directly or indirectly, aspects of our business.
Despite our efforts to ensure the integrity of our systems, it is possible that we may not be able to anticipate or to implement effective preventive measures against all security breaches, especially because the techniques used change frequently or are not recognized until launched, and because security attacks can originate from a wide variety of sources, including persons who are involved with organized crime or associated with external service providers or who may be linked to terrorist organizations or hostile foreign governments. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our systems or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities. System enhancements and updates may also create risks associated with implementing and integrating new systems. Due to the complexity and interconnectedness of information technology systems, the process of enhancing our systems can itself create a risk of systems disruptions and security issues.
If our security systems were penetrated or circumvented, it could cause serious negative consequences for us, including significant disruption of our operations, misappropriation of our confidential information or that of our clients, or damage our computers or systems and those of our clients and counterparties, and could result in violations of applicable privacy and other laws, financial loss to us or to our clients, loss of confidence in our security measures, client dissatisfaction, significant litigation exposure, regulatory action, and harm to our reputation, all of which could have a material adverse effect on us.