A Dark Vector Cognition product

Item 1A. Risk Factors

13K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown

Item 1A. Risk Factors

In addition to the other information included in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the factors identified under “Safe Harbor” in Part I, Item 2 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which could materially affect our business, financial condition, cash flows, or results of operations. The risks described in the Annual Report are not the only risks facing the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that the Company currently considers immaterial also may materially adversely affect its business, financial condition, and/or operating results. There have been no material changes to the risk factors included in our Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2022, other than as described below:

Cybersecurity incidents could disrupt business operations. We rely on information technology systems throughout the Company to keep financial records, process orders, manage inventory, coordinate shipments to distributors and customers, maintain confidential and proprietary information, and other technical activities, and operate other critical functions such as internet connectivity, network communications, and email. The Company stores confidential and proprietary information through cloud-based services that are hosted by third parties where we have less influence over security protocols. In addition, our customers may use certain of our products and solutions to transmit and/or process personal data and other sensitive information. Like many companies, we continually strive to meet industry information security standards relevant to our business. We periodically perform vulnerability assessments, remediate vulnerabilities, review log/access, perform system maintenance, manage network perimeter protection, implement and manage disaster recovery testing, and provide periodic educational sessions to our employees to foster awareness of schemes to access sensitive information. Despite our implementation of a variety of security controls and measures, as well as those of our third-party vendors, there is no assurance that such actions will be sufficient to prevent a cybersecurity incident. Further, as cybercrime and threats continue to rapidly evolve and become increasingly more difficult to detect and defend against, our current security controls and measures may not be effective in preventing cybersecurity incidents and we may not have the capabilities to detect certain vulnerabilities. A cybersecurity incident could include an attempt to gain unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Phishing and other types of attempts to obtain unauthorized information or access are often sophisticated and difficult to detect or defeat.

Cybersecurity incidents can take a variety of forms including, unintentional events as well as deliberate attacks by individuals, groups and sophisticated organizations, such as state sponsored organizations or nation-state actors. Further, certain of our third party vendors have limited access to our employee and customer data and may use this data in unauthorized ways. Any such cybersecurity incident or misuse of our employees’ or customers’ data may lead to a material disruption of our core business systems, the loss or corruption of confidential business information, and/or the disclosure of personal data that in each case could result in an adverse business impact as well as possible damage to our brand. This could also lead to a public disclosure or theft of private intellectual property and a possible loss of customer confidence.

While we have experienced and expect to continue to experience these types of threats and incidents, there have been no material incidents incurred to-date at the Company. If our core business operations, or that of one of our third-party service providers, were to be breached, this could affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our systems and data. Any failure on the part of us or our third-party service providers to maintain the security of data we are required to protect, including via the penetration of our network security and the misappropriation of confidential and proprietary information, could result in: business disruption; damage to our reputation; financial obligations to third parties; fines, penalties, regulatory proceedings; private litigation with potentially large costs; deterioration in our suppliers’, distributors’, and customers’ confidence in us; as well as other competitive disadvantages. Such failures to maintain the security of data could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. While we continue to perform security due diligence, there is always the possibility of a significant breach. In addition, any failure on the part of one of our contract manufacturers, distributors or resellers to maintain the security of its systems or data, including via the penetration of their network security or ransomware, could result in business disruption to us and damage to our reputation.

We rely on third-party dealers, distributors, and resellers to sell many of our products, services and solutions, and their failure to effectively bring our products, services and solutions to market may negatively affect our results of operation and financial results. In addition to our own sales force, we offer our products, services and solutions through a variety of third-party dealers, distributors, and resellers who may also market other products, services and solutions that compete with ours. Failure of one or more of our third-party dealers, distributors, or resellers to effectively promote our offerings could affect our ability to bring

products, services and solutions to market and have a negative impact on our results of operations. Any changes to our channel program may cause some of our third-party dealers, distributors, or resellers to exit the program due to modifications to the program structure, which may reduce our ability to bring products and solutions to market and could have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Third-party dealers, distributors or resellers could also face additional costs or credit concerns resulting from an uncertain economic environment that would cause such parties to reduce purchases of our products, thereby causing a negative impact on our financial results. Some of these third-parties are smaller and more likely to be impacted by a significant decrease in available credit that could result from a weakness in the financial markets. If credit pressures or other financial difficulties result in insolvency for third-party dealers, distributors, or resellers and we are unable to successfully transition end-customers to purchase our products and solutions from other third-parties or from us directly, it may cause, and in some cases, has caused, a negative impact on our financial results.

Our future operating results depend on our ability to purchase a sufficient amount of materials, parts, and components, as well as services and software to meet the demands of customers. We source some of our components from sole source suppliers. Any disruption to our suppliers or significant increase in the price of supplies, inclusive of transportation costs, or change in customer demand could have a negative impact on our results of operations*.* Our ability to meet customers’ demands depends, in part, on our ability to obtain in a timely manner an adequate delivery of quality materials, parts, and components, as well as services and software from our suppliers, and our ability to deliver products, services and software to our customers. In addition, certain supplies are available only from a single source or limited sources and we may not be able to diversify sources in a timely manner. If demand for our products, solutions or services increases from our current expectations or if suppliers are unable or unwilling to meet our demand for other reasons, including as a result of natural disasters, public health issues, severe weather conditions, or financial issues, we could experience an interruption in supplies or a significant increase in the price of supplies that could have a negative impact on our business. We have experienced shortages in the past that have negatively impacted our results of operations and may experience such shortages in the future. At times we have and may continue to execute multi-year purchase commitments with suppliers that contain minimum spend thresholds, which we are obligated to fulfill even if customer demand declines, and may require that we purchase inventory that exceeds our forecasted demand. In addition, volatility in customer demand, product availability, and costs to transport products, may result in increased operating input costs, elevated inventory levels, as well as inventory-related losses. Also, credit constraints at our suppliers could cause us to accelerate payment of accounts payable by us, impacting our cash flow.

Economic conditions and financial market disruptions may adversely affect our business and results of operations. Adverse economic conditions or reduced and/or changes in the timing and amount of information technology spending may negatively impact our business. General disruption of financial markets and a related general economic downturn or uncertainty could adversely affect our business and financial condition through a reduction in demand for our products, solutions or services by our customers. If a slowdown were severe enough, it could require further impairment testing and write-downs of goodwill and other intangible assets. Cost reduction actions have been and may be necessary in the future resulting in restructuring charges as well as changes in staffing levels which may strain our resources. A tightening of financial credit or increase in the cost of borrowing could adversely affect our customers, suppliers, outsourced manufacturers, and channel partners (e.g., distributors and resellers) from obtaining adequate credit for the financing of significant purchases. An economic downturn could also result in a decrease in or cancellation of orders for our products, solutions and services; negatively impacting the ability to collect accounts receivable on a timely basis; result in additional reserves for uncollectible accounts receivable; and require additional reserves for inventory obsolescence. Higher volatility and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates for the U.S. Dollar against currencies such as the Euro, British Pound Sterling and Czech Koruna could negatively impact product sales, margins, and cash flows.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

The following table sets forth information with respect to repurchases of the Company’s common stock for the three months ended July 1, 2023:

PeriodTotal Number of Shares PurchasedAverage Price Paid per ShareTotal Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (1)Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in millions) (1)
April 2, 2023 - April 29, 2023—$——$930
April 30, 2023 - May 27, 2023138,508270.73138,508893
May 28, 2023 - July 1, 2023———893
Total138,508$270.73138,508$893

(1)On May 17, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for up to $1 billion of its outstanding shares of common stock. This authorization augments the previous $1 billion share repurchase authorization which was announced on July 30, 2019. Repurchases may be effected from time to time through open market purchases, including pursuant to a pre-set trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As of July 1, 2023, the Company has cumulatively repurchased 3,517,602 shares of common stock for approximately $1.1 billion, resulting in a remaining amount of share repurchases authorized under the plans of $893 million.

Previous: Item 4. Controls and Procedures · Next: Item 5. Other Information