Company: ASTE
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000792987-25-000013
Chunk: 50

Company: ASTEC INDUSTRIES INC
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 50
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, changes in intellectual property laws or their interpretation may impact our ability to protect and assert our intellectual property rights, increase costs and uncertainties in the prosecution of patent applications and enforcement or defense of issued patents and diminish the value of our intellectual property. If we do not protect and enforce our intellectual property rights successfully, or if they are circumvented, invalidated or rendered obsolete by the rapid pace of technological change, it could have an adverse impact on our competitive position and our operating results. Additionally, if our products are deemed to infringe upon the patents or proprietary rights of others, we could be required to modify the design of our products, change the name of our products or obtain a license for the use of some of the technologies used in our products.

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Table of Contents

Information Technology and Cybersecurity Risks

Our operations may be adversely affected by any disruption in our information technology systems. 

Our operations are dependent upon our information technology systems, which encompass all of our major business functions. We rely upon our information technology systems to run critical functions, including accounting and financial information systems, process receivables, manage and replenish inventory, fill and ship customer orders on a timely basis and coordinate our sales activities across all products and services. A substantial disruption in our information technology systems for any prolonged time period could result in problems and delays in generating critical financial and operational information, processing receivables, receiving inventory and supplies and filling customer orders. These disruptions could adversely affect our operations as well as our customer service and relationships. Our systems, or those of our significant customers or suppliers, might be damaged or interrupted by natural or man-made events or by computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or similar disruptions affecting the global Internet. In addition, we rely on a number of third-party service providers to execute certain business processes and maintain certain information technology systems and infrastructure, and any breach of security or disruption in their systems could impair our ability to operate effectively. Such disruptions, delays, problems or associated costs relating to our systems or those of our significant customers, suppliers or third-party providers could have a material adverse effect on our operations, operating results and financial condition.

Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure amid a general worldwide increase in threats and more sophisticated and targeted cybercrime could compromise our and our customers' and suppliers' information, which could expose us to liability and damage our reputation.

In the ordinary course of business, we rely upon information technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store electronic information and to manage or support a variety of business functions