implement or may create disruptions in our
provision of services to customers. Our customers may refuse to
agree to modifications to technology or infrastructure that we
provide to them or that interoperate with the technology or
infrastructure we provide to them that we may believe are desirable
to improve the reliability, performance, efficiency or cost in
delivering. Additionally, the improper implementation or use of
Altisource technology, such as Equator, by customers could
adversely impact the operation of that technology, and potentially
cause harm to our reputation, loss of customers, negative publicity
or exposure to liability claims or government investigations or
actions.
We depend on our ability to
use services, products, data and infrastructure provided by third
parties to maintain and grow our businesses.
We rely on certain third
parties to provide services, products and solutions including
certain data, infrastructure, technology, systems and functionality
including a third-party hosted and managed data center and
operating environment (collectively, “Inputs”) critical to our
services, including our Hubzu real estate marketing, Field
Services, Equator, Trelix Connect, Vendorly, RentRange and other
solutions. The failure of such third parties to provide or make
available the Inputs in accordance with applicable requirements
could negatively impact our ability to provide our services or
perform transactions and to meet our obligations. In addition,
these third parties could cease providing or reduce the
availability, type, details or other aspects of the Inputs, and
change the pricing, performance or functionality of the Inputs. If
such Inputs become unavailable or too expensive and we are unable
to obtain suitable alternatives and efficiently and effectively
integrate these alternatives into our service offerings or
infrastructure, we could experience service disruptions, increased
costs and reduced quality of our services.
The Company’s databases
contain our proprietary information, the proprietary information of
third parties and personal information of our customers, consumers,
vendors and employees. Our failure to comply with applicable
information management requirements or best practices or the legal
rights of individuals about whom we collect or process personal
information, or an unauthorized disclosure of information, could
subject us to adverse publicity, investigations, fines, costly
government enforcement actions or private litigation and
expenses.
As part of our business we
collect, store, process, transfer and dispose in tangible and
electronic forms customer, consumer, vendor and employee personal
information (“PI”). We and our vendors rely on processes that are
intended to provide necessary notices regarding the collection,
storage, processing and destruction of PI, and to permit subjects
to exercise their legal rights concerning their PI in our
possession. If those processes are not sufficient or experience an
error or other disruption, we or our vendors may fail to comply
with applicable requirements concerning PI. In addition, we rely on
the security of our facilities, networks, databases, systems and
processes and, in certain circumstances, third parties, such as
vendors, to protect PI. If our controls and those of our customers
or vendors are not effective, are outdated or do not exist, or if
we fail to detect or respond to attacks or intrusions, unauthorized
parties may gain access to our networks or databases or
information, or those of our customers or vendors with which we
interconnect or share information, and they may be able to steal,
publish, delete, or modify PI. In addition, employees may
intentionally or inadvertently cause data or security breaches that
result in unauthorized release of such PI. Further, our efforts to
delete or destroy PI may not be consistent with our disclosed
policies or may not be successful, resulting in the theft or
unintentional disclosure of PI, including when disposing of media
on which PI may be stored. In such circumstances, our business
could be harmed and we could be liable to our customers, employees
or vendors, or to regulators, consumers or other parties, as well
as be subject to notification requirements or regulatory or other
actions for breaching applicable laws or failing to adequately
protect such information. This could result in costly
investigations and litigation, civil or criminal penalties, large
scale remediation requirements, operational changes or other
response measures, significant penalties, fines, settlements,
costs, consent orders, loss of consumer confidence in our security
measures and negative publicity.
The insurance underwriting
loss limitation methods we use could fail.
Altisource, through its
subsidiary Association of Certified Mortgage Originators Risk
Retention Group, Inc., provides certified loan insurance to its
customers. Altisource reduces a portion of its risk of insurance
loss through third-party reinsurance. The incidence and severity of
claims against insurance policies are inherently unpredictable.
Although we attempt to manage our exposure to insurance
underwriting risk