SKYWEST INC - (SKYW)
10-K Filing Date: February 15, 2024
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy
Our approach to mitigating information technology and cybersecurity risk comprises a range of activities with the primary objective of maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our critical IT Systems and information related to our business. Although IT Systems are inherently vulnerable to interruption due to a variety of sources, we have aligned our cybersecurity risk management program, including our processes and controls, with certain applicable and relevant guidelines. For example, we have aligned our processes with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) and assess our cybersecurity maturity against the NIST CSF’s core functions; however, this does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications or requirements, only that we use the NIST CSF as a guide to help us identify, assess and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.
Our cybersecurity risk management processes include a cybersecurity incident response plan, and we have invested in technical and organizational safeguards intended to manage and mitigate material risks from cybersecurity threats to our IT Systems, including network security controls, employee training, internal vetting of third-party vendors and service providers with whom we may share data, and regular system reviews and security exercises. Our cybersecurity risk management program is a component of our overall enterprise risk management program, and shares common methodologies, reporting channels and governance processes that apply across the enterprise risk management program to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas.
While we work closely with accredited third-party cybersecurity firms, where appropriate, to audit our security architecture, our Information Security Team, consisting of experienced cybersecurity professionals, is responsible for the day-to-day management of our cybersecurity risks, including directing our cybersecurity risk assessment processes, our security processes, and our response to cybersecurity incidents.
During 2021, we identified malware on our system resulting from a cyberattack. We successfully quarantined the malware without disruption to our operations. However, this quarantine required a rebuild of a triple-redundant server. While moving one of our critical systems to a newly rebuilt server, we experienced a server outage that resulted in approximately 1,700 flight cancellations. We estimate the impact of the outage negatively impacted our 2021 financial results by approximately $16 million (pre-tax). Approximately half of the loss we incurred in 2021 from this incident was recovered through our cyber insurance policy during the year ended December 31, 2023. Based on our assessment, we do not believe the incident has or will materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we have not identified risks from known
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cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. We face certain ongoing risks from cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. See “Risk Factors – Cybersecurity incidents, hardware or software failures or other information technology disruptions may negatively impact our operations, reputation and financial condition.”
Cybersecurity Governance
Our Board considers cybersecurity risk as critical to the enterprise and delegates the cybersecurity risk oversight function to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee oversees management’s design, implementation and enforcement of our cybersecurity risk management program.
The Audit Committee receives quarterly reports from management on our cybersecurity risks. In addition, management updates the Audit Committee, as necessary, regarding any material cybersecurity incidents, as well as any incidents with lesser impact potential. The Audit Committee reports to the full Board regarding its activities, including those related to cybersecurity. The full Board also receives briefings from management on our cyber risk management program. Audit Committee members also receive presentations on cybersecurity topics from our Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Financial Officer, supported by our internal security staff, or external experts as part of the Board’s continuing education on topics that impact public companies.
Our management team, including our Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Information Technology, is responsible for assessing and managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats. The team has primary responsibility for leading our overall cybersecurity risk management program and supervises both our internal cybersecurity personnel and our external cybersecurity service providers. Our Vice President of Information Technology has more than 25 years of experience managing and leading IT and cybersecurity teams. Our Vice President of Information Technology participates in the Aviation ISAC organization, an international membership community of airframers, airlines, airports, satellite manufacturers, aviation services, and their supply chains that collaborate to prevent, detect, respond to, and remediate cyber risk through threat intelligence sharing and best practices.
Our management team supervises efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include briefings from internal security personnel, threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external consultants engaged by us, and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in the IT environment.