We and our partners rely on various technology systems, including cloud services, content delivery, and other networks, in connection with the production, distribution and broadcast of our programming, and our online, mobile and app offerings, as well as our internal systems, involve the storage and transmission of personal and proprietary information. We are subject to risks caused by the misappropriation, misuse, falsification, or intentional or accidental release or loss of business or personal data or content maintained in our or our service providers’ systems, including personal and proprietary information of third parties, employees and users of our online, mobile and app offerings, business information, including intellectual property, or other confidential information. Additionally, remote access to our networks and systems and the networks and systems of our partners is substantial and may cause such networks and systems to be more vulnerable to cyberattacks or incidents.
In the ordinary course of our business, cyber criminals and other malicious actors consistently target us and our service providers. Our systems and our service providers’ systems have been breached in the past due to cybersecurity attacks. These systems may continue to be breached in the future due to employee error or misconduct, system vulnerabilities, malicious code, hacking and phishing attacks, malware, ransomware, or otherwise. In addition, despite efforts to detect cyber breaches,
cybersecurity attacks can persist for an extended period of time before being detected, and following detection, it may take
considerable time to understand the nature, scope, impact and timing of the cyberattack. The risk of cyberattacks may continue to increase as technologies evolve and cyber criminals conduct their attacks using more sophisticated methods, including those which use AI. We may be unable to anticipate these methods and implement adequate preventative measures.
The risk of cyberattacks has also increased and is expected to continue to increase in connection with geopolitical events and dynamics, including ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and tensions with Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and other states. State-sponsored parties or their supporters may launch retaliatory cyberattacks, and may attempt to cause supply chain disruptions, or carry out other geopolitically motivated retaliatory actions that may adversely disrupt or degrade our operations and may result in data compromise. In addition, our high-profile sports and entertainment programming and extensive news coverage of elections, sociopolitical events and public controversies may subject us to heightened cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity threats originate from a wide variety of sources/malicious actors, including, but not limited to, persons who constitute an insider threat, who are involved with organized crime, or who may be linked to terrorist organizations or hostile foreign governments. Malicious actors have attempted to, and may continue to attempt to, fraudulently induce employees, customers, or other users of our systems to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our data systems or that of our service providers, customers or clients through social engineering, phishing, mobile phone malware, account takeovers, SIM card swapping, or similar methods.
We have implemented processes, strategies and incident response plans designed to identify, assess and manage cyber risks and information security vulnerabilities (as further described in Item 1C. Cybersecurity). However, our procedures may not be sufficient to adequately mitigate the negative impacts of a cyber breach or adverse event and we may not have adequate insurance coverage to compensate us for any losses that may occur. If our or our service providers’ information security systems or data are compromised, such compromises could result in a disruption of services or a reduction of the revenues we are able to generate from such services, damage to our brands and reputation, a loss of confidence in the security of our offerings and services, and significant legal, regulatory and financial exposure, each of which could potentially have an adverse effect on our business.