Cybersecurity and data breaches
203 of 521 companies added a paragraph in Risk Factors that uses one of these words:
cybersecurity, cyber, ransomware, data breach, cyberattack, hackers.
The paragraph is in the latest 10-K and nothing like it was in the one before.
It counts text; it does not say how serious a risk is. Words in capitals only (such as AI) must be in capitals.
By sector
Sector is the SEC's industry description of the company. Each count opens that sector's quotes below.
| Sector | Companies | Compared |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Communications Equipment | 3 | 3 |
| Accident & Health Insurance | 2 | 2 |
| Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC | 2 | 2 |
| Instruments For Meas & Testing of Electricity & Elec Signals | 2 | 2 |
| Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments | 2 | 2 |
| Rubber & Plastics Footwear | 2 | 2 |
| Air Courier Services | 1 | 1 |
| Apparel & Other Finishd Prods of Fabrics & Similar Matl | 1 | 1 |
| Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters | 1 | 1 |
| Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies | 1 | 1 |
| Electrical Industrial Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Electronic Components & Accessories | 1 | 1 |
| Electronic Connectors | 1 | 1 |
| Engines & Turbines | 1 | 1 |
| Gas & Other Services Combined | 1 | 1 |
| General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Grain Mill Products | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors | 1 | 1 |
| In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances | 1 | 1 |
| Insurance Carriers, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Leather & Leather Products | 1 | 1 |
| Meat Packing Plants | 1 | 1 |
| Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries | 1 | 1 |
| Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods | 1 | 1 |
| Paper Mills | 1 | 1 |
| Real Estate Operators (No Developers) & Lessors | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Drug Stores and Proprietary Stores | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Eating & Drinking Places | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Radio, Tv & Consumer Electronics Stores | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Retail Stores, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Rolling Drawing & Extruding of Nonferrous Metals | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Advertising Agencies | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) | 1 | 1 |
| Telephone & Telegraph Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Television Broadcasting Stations | 1 | 1 |
| Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) | 1 | 1 |
| Water Supply | 1 | 1 |
| Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies | 1 | 1 |
| X-Ray Apparatus & Tubes & Related Irradiation Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Finance Services | 21 | 28 |
| Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service | 4 | 6 |
| Electrical Work | 2 | 3 |
| Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations | 2 | 3 |
| Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design | 2 | 3 |
| Investment Advice | 5 | 8 |
| Biological Products, (No Diagnostic Substances) | 3 | 5 |
| Computer Storage Devices | 3 | 5 |
| Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. | 3 | 5 |
| National Commercial Banks | 6 | 11 |
| Services-Prepackaged Software | 10 | 19 |
| Petroleum Refining | 3 | 6 |
| Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) | 2 | 4 |
| Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys | 2 | 4 |
| Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services | 2 | 4 |
| Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation | 2 | 4 |
| Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts | 1 | 2 |
| Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware | 1 | 2 |
| Industrial Organic Chemicals | 1 | 2 |
| Mining & Quarrying of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) | 1 | 2 |
| Oil & Gas Field Services, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Optical Instruments & Lenses | 1 | 2 |
| Printed Circuit Boards | 1 | 2 |
| Pumps & Pumping Equipment | 1 | 2 |
| Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment | 1 | 2 |
| Retail-Auto & Home Supply Stores | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Computer Programming Services | 1 | 2 |
| Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Medical Laboratories | 1 | 2 |
| Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) | 1 | 2 |
| Transportation Services | 1 | 2 |
| Trucking (No Local) | 1 | 2 |
| Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies | 3 | 7 |
| Semiconductors & Related Devices | 6 | 15 |
| Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus | 4 | 10 |
| Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, and Control | 2 | 5 |
| Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies | 2 | 5 |
| Services-Business Services, NEC | 6 | 16 |
| Pharmaceutical Preparations | 4 | 11 |
| Electric Services | 5 | 15 |
| Electric & Other Services Combined | 4 | 12 |
| State Commercial Banks | 2 | 6 |
| Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip | 1 | 3 |
| Computer & office Equipment | 1 | 3 |
| Electronic Computers | 1 | 3 |
| Life Insurance | 1 | 3 |
| Measuring & Controlling Devices, NEC | 1 | 3 |
| Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers | 1 | 3 |
| Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research | 1 | 3 |
| Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics | 1 | 3 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | 8 | 27 |
| Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas | 2 | 7 |
| Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance | 3 | 12 |
| Retail-Eating Places | 1 | 4 |
| Hospital & Medical Service Plans | 1 | 5 |
| Laboratory Analytical Instruments | 1 | 5 |
| Retail-Variety Stores | 1 | 5 |
532 paragraphs · Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service show all sectors
The increasing adoption of AI technologies by cyber threat actors presents a significant and evolving risk to our company. These actors may leverage AI to develop more sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks, including advanced phishing schemes, malware, and data exfiltration techniques, which could compromise our controls and systems, client data, and proprietary information. Such incidents could result in operational disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage, regulatory scrutiny, and potential legal liabilities. As the capabilities of AI-driven threats continue to advance, the complexity and scale of cyber risks we face may increase, necessitating ongoing investment in robust cybersecurity measures and threat mitigation strategies.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
While we maintain some of our critical information technology systems, we are dependent on third-party providers of information technology systems and services, as well as other non-IT services, to meet the needs of our business and our clients around the world. As we do not fully control the actions of these third parties, we are subject to the risk that their decisions, actions, or inactions may adversely impact us, and replacing these service providers could create significant delay and expense. There is a risk that our third-party providers could engage in business practices that are prohibited by our internal policies or violate applicable laws and regulations. A failure by third parties to comply with service-level agreements or regulatory or legal requirements in a high-quality and timely manner, particularly during periods of our peak demand for their services, could result in economic and reputational harm to us. These third parties face their own technology, operating, business and economic risks, and any significant failures by them, including the improper use or disclosure of our confidential client, employee or company information, could cause harm to our business and reputation. An interruption in or the cessation of service by any service provider as a result of systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, capacity constraints, financial difficulties, or for any other reason could disrupt our operations, impact our ability to offer certain products and services, and result in contractual or regulatory penalties, liability claims from clients or employees, damage to our reputation, and harm to our business. See also “Business disruptions could have a material adverse effect on our operations, damage our reputation and impact client relationships.”
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
•Regulation in the areas of data privacy, data protection, data management, data transfer, data localization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity could increase our costs and affect or limit our business opportunities.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 13, 2026 ↗
Regulation in the areas of data privacy, data protection, data management, data transfer, data localization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity could increase our costs and affect or limit our business opportunities.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 13, 2026 ↗
The enhancement and development of technology systems may enhance cybersecurity risks and operational and technological risks, as any latency, disruption or failure in such technological tools could result in errors in analyses and compromise the integrity, security or privacy of generated content. Additionally, the process of integrating technology systems of businesses we acquire is complex and exposes us to additional risk. We may not adequately identify weaknesses in the information systems or information handling, privacy and security policies and protocols of targets, which could expose us to unexpected liabilities or make our own systems and data more vulnerable to cybersecurity incidents. For further discussion of risks relating to these technology systems, please see “A cybersecurity attack, or any other interruption in information technology and/or data security that may impact our operations or the operations of third parties that support us, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and reputation” above.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 12, 2026 ↗
Our increasing reliance on software-as-a-service ("SaaS") cloud solutions and other cloud-based vendors to support critical business operations also exposes us to risks associated with the availability, security, and resilience of these third-party platforms. These arrangements create dependencies on the vendors’ ability to maintain continuous service and protect against outages, disruptions or cyber incidents and on the sufficiency of their security controls and incident response. In addition, managing and integrating multiple cloud environments with our internal systems increases the risk of configuration errors or vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 9, 2026 ↗