Longeveron Inc. - (LGVN)

10-K Filing Date: February 27, 2024
Item 1C. Cybersecurity

 

The Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) recognizes the critical importance of maintaining the trust and confidence of our customers, clients, business partners and employees. The Board is actively involved in oversight of the Company’s risk management program, and cybersecurity represents an important component of the Company’s overall approach to enterprise risk management (“ERM”). The Company’s cybersecurity policies, standards, processes, and practices are fully integrated into the Company’s ERM program and are based on recognized frameworks established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the International Organization for Standardization and other applicable industry standards. In general, the Company seeks to address cybersecurity risks through a comprehensive, cross-functional approach that is focused on preserving the confidentiality, security and availability of the information that the Company collects and stores by identifying, preventing and mitigating cybersecurity threats and effectively responding to cybersecurity incidents when they occur.

 

Risk Management and Strategy

 

As one of the critical elements of the Company’s overall ERM approach, the Company’s cybersecurity program is focused on the following key areas:

 

Governance: As discussed in more detail under the heading “Governance,” The Board’s oversight of cybersecurity risk management is supported by the Audit Committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”), which regularly interacts with the Company’s Vice President, Business Operations (“VPBO”), other members of management and relevant management committees, including Company’s Senior Leadership Team (“SLT”). The Company, as part of cost-cutting initiatives in 2024, has eliminated the VBPO position; the obligations of that position as it relates to cybersecurity oversight and risk management will be undertaken by the Company’s General Counsel.

 

Collaborative Approach: The Company, through its information technology partner, has implemented a comprehensive, cross-functional approach to identifying, preventing, and mitigating cybersecurity threats and incidents, while also implementing controls and procedures that provide for the prompt escalation of certain cybersecurity incidents so that decisions regarding the public disclosure and reporting of such incidents can be made by management in a timely manner.

 

Technical Safeguards: The Company, through its information technology partner, deploys technical safeguards that are designed to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats, including firewalls, intrusion prevention and detection systems, anti- malware functionality and access controls, which are evaluated and improved through vulnerability assessments and cybersecurity threat intelligence.

 

Incident Response and Recovery Planning: The Company, with its information technology partner, maintains comprehensive incident response and recovery plans that fully address the Company’s response to a cybersecurity incident.

 

Education and Awareness: The Company, through its information technology partner, provides regular, mandatory training for personnel regarding cybersecurity threats to equip the Company’s personnel with effective tools to address cybersecurity threats, and to communicate the Company’s evolving information security policies, standards, processes, and practices.

 

The Company engages in the periodic assessment and testing of the Company’s policies, standards, processes, and practices that are designed to address cybersecurity threats and incidents. These efforts include a wide range of activities, including audits, assessments, tabletop exercises, threat modeling, vulnerability testing and other exercises focused on evaluating the effectiveness of our cybersecurity measures and planning. The Company with our information technology partner regularly engages assessments on our cybersecurity measures, including information security maturity assessments, audits and independent reviews of our information security control environment and operating effectiveness. The results of such assessments, audits and reviews are reported to the VPBO who shares data with the SLT, Audit Committee and the Board, and the Company adjusts its cybersecurity policies, standards, processes and practices as necessary based on the information provided by these assessments, audits and reviews.

 

Governance

 

The VPBO, in coordination with the SLT, oversees the Company’s ERM process, including the management of risks arising from cybersecurity threats. The VPBO and the SLT, through its information technology partner receives regular reports on cybersecurity risks, which address a wide range of topics including recent developments, evolving standards, vulnerability assessments, the threat environment, technological trends and information security considerations. On an annual basis, the Audit Committee and the Board discuss the Company’s approach to cybersecurity risk management with the members of the SLT, which includes the Company’s VPBO, Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), and General Counsel.

 

The VPBO, in coordination with the SLT, works collaboratively across the Company to implement a program designed to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats and to promptly respond to any cybersecurity incidents in accordance with the Company’s incident response and recovery plans. To facilitate the success of the Company’s cybersecurity risk management program, multidisciplinary teams throughout the Company are deployed to address cybersecurity threats and to respond to cybersecurity incidents. Through ongoing communications with the Company’s information technology partner, these teams monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity threats and incidents in real time and report such threats and incidents to the Company’s SLT and Audit Committee, when appropriate.

 

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The Company’s information technology partner has worked in information technology and information security for over 30 years with over 300 employees with six locations in the United States. A virtual Chief Information Officer (“vCIO”) from the partner works directly with the VPBO for align business and technical strategies, decisions, and implementations. The VPBO has over 35 years in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry managing programs and projects across a variety of implementation methodologies and risk factors and holds undergraduate degrees and certifications in his respective field. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer, CFO and General Counsel each hold undergraduate and graduate degrees in their respective fields, and each have over 25 years of experience managing risks at similar companies, including risks arising from cybersecurity threats.

 

Cybersecurity threats, including the results of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected or are reasonably likely to affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations or financial condition.