Allied Gaming & Entertainment Inc. - (AGAE)
10-K Filing Date: March 28, 2024
We address cybersecurity risk with input from our employees and Audit Committee. The Audit Committee, and senior management devote significant resources to cybersecurity and risk management processes to adapt to the changing cybersecurity landscape and respond to emerging threats in a timely and effective manner. We regularly assess the threat landscape and take a universal view of cybersecurity risks, with a layered cybersecurity strategy based on prevention, detection, and mitigation. Our information technology (IT) security team reviews enterprise risk management-level cybersecurity risks annually. In addition, we have a set of Company-wide policies and procedures concerning cybersecurity matters, which include an IT security manual as well as other policies that directly or indirectly relate to cybersecurity, such as policies related to encryption standards, antivirus protection, remote access, multifactor authentication, confidential information and the use of the internet, social media, email and wireless devices. These policies go through an internal review process and are approved by appropriate members of management.
All employees are required to complete cybersecurity training and have access to more frequent cybersecurity training through online trainings. We also require employees in certain roles to complete additional role-based, specialized cybersecurity training.
We have continued to expand investments in IT security, including additional end-user training, using layered defenses, identifying, and protecting critical assets, strengthening monitoring and alerting, and engaging experts. We regularly test defenses by performing simulations and drills at both a technical level (including through penetration tests) and by reviewing our operational policies and procedures with third-party experts. At the management level, our IT security team regularly monitors alerts and meets to discuss threat levels, trends, and remediation. The team also reviews a monthly cyber scorecard, regularly collects data on cybersecurity threats and risk areas and conducts an annual risk assessment. Further, we conduct periodic external penetration tests, red team testing and maturity testing to assess our processes and procedures and the threat landscape. These tests and assessments are useful tools for maintaining a robust cybersecurity program to protect our investors, customers, employees, vendors, and intellectual property. In addition to assessing our own cybersecurity preparedness, we also consider and evaluate cybersecurity risks associated with use of third-party service providers. Our Internal Audit team conducts an annual review of third-party hosted applications with a specific focus on any sensitive data shared with third parties. The internal business owners of the hosted applications are required to document user access reviews at least annually and provide from the vendor a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 1 or SOC 2 report. If a third-party vendor is not able to provide a SOC 1 or SOC 2 report, we take additional steps to assess their cybersecurity preparedness and assess our relationship on that basis. Our assessment of risks associated with use of third-party providers is part of our overall cybersecurity risk management framework.
The Audit Committee has periodic discussions with management regarding cybersecurity risks. The Audit Committee performs an annual review of the Company’s cybersecurity program, which includes a discussion of management’s actions to identify and detect threats, as well as planned actions in the event of a response or recovery situation.
We face a number of cybersecurity risks in connection with our business. Although such risks have not materially affected us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition, to date, we have, from time to time, experienced threats to and breaches of our data and systems, including malware and computer virus attacks.
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