Risk Factors - EACO

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$EACO Risk Factor changes from 00/11/22/23/2023 to 00/11/29/24/2024

Item 1A. Risk FactorsOur business is subject to a number of risks, some of which are discussed below.

The risk factors discussed in this section should be considered together with information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”) and should not be considered the only risks to which the Company is exposed. The risk factors discussed in this section should be considered together with information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should not be considered the only risks to which the Company is exposed. If any of the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be seriously harmed. In that event, the market price for shares of our common stock may decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.Company and Operational RisksWe generally do not have long-term supply agreements or guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with the majority of our suppliers.In most cases, we have no guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with our suppliers. Consequently, we may experience inventory shortages on certain products from time to time. Furthermore, our industry occasionally experiences significant product supply shortages and customer order backlogs due to the inability of certain manufacturers to supply products as needed. We cannot assure you that our suppliers will maintain an adequate supply of products to fulfill our orders on a timely basis, at a recoverable cost, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain particular products on favorable terms, on a timely basis, or at all. Additionally, we cannot assure you that product lines currently offered by suppliers will continue to be available to us. A decline in the supply or continued availability of the products of our suppliers, or a significant increase in the price of those products, could reduce our sales, harm our reputation and negatively affect our operating results.Our supply agreements are generally terminable at the suppliers’ discretion.Substantially all of the agreements we have with our suppliers, including our authorized distributor agreements, may be terminated by either party with little or no notice or penalty.Substantially all of the agreements we have with our suppliers, including our authorized distributor agreements, are terminable with little or no notice or penalty. Suppliers that currently sell their products through us could decide to sell, or increase their sales of, their products directly or through other distributors or channels. If a supplier terminates our agreement, we may not be able to identify or secure another supplier for the same products on a timely basis, at competitive pricing, or at all. Any termination, interruption or adverse modification of our relationship with a key supplier or a significant number of other suppliers would likely adversely affect our operating income, cash flow and future prospects.We are subject to a variety of claims, investigations and litigation that could adversely affect our results of operations and harm our reputation.In the normal course of business, we are subject to claims and lawsuits, including from time to time class actions involving consumers, stockholders or employees, and claims relating to commercial, labor, or employment matters, We have in the past and may in the future be subject to investigations, claims, litigation and other proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. Defending these lawsuits and becoming involved in these investigations may divert management’s attention, and may cause us to incur significant expenses, even if there is no evidence that our systems or practices were the cause of the claim. In addition, we may be required to pay damage awards, penalties or settlements, or become subject to injunctions or other equitable remedies, which could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Moreover, any insurance or indemnification rights that we have may be insufficient or unavailable to protect us against potential loss exposures.We generally do not have long-term sales contracts with our customers.Most of our sales are made on a purchase order basis, rather than through long-term sales contracts. As such, our customers typically do not have any obligation to purchase any products from us. A variety of conditions, both specific to each customer and generally affecting each customer’s industry, may cause customers to reduce, cancel or delay orders that were either previously made or anticipated. In addition, customers may go bankrupt or fail, or default on their payments. Significant or numerous cancellations, reductions, delays in orders by customers, losses of customers, and/or customer defaults on payment could materially adversely affect our business and revenues.4 Table of ContentsWe rely on third-party suppliers for most of our products, and may not be able to identify and procure relevant new products and products lines that satisfy our customers’ needs on favorable terms and prices, or at all.We rely on third party suppliers for most of our products, and may not be able to identify and procure relevant new products and products lines that satisfy our customers’ needs on favorable terms and prices, or at all. We currently rely on a large number of third-party suppliers for most of our products.We currently rely on a large number of third party suppliers for most of our products. Since we do not manufacture our products, we rely on these suppliers to provide quality products that are in demand by our customers. Our success depends in part on our ability to develop product expertise and continue to identify and provide future high-quality products and product lines that complement our existing products and product lines and that respond to our customers’ needs. Our success depends in part on our ability to develop product expertise and continue to identify and provide future high quality products and product lines that complement our existing products and product lines and that respond to our customers’ needs. We may not be able to compete effectively unless we can continue to offer a broad range of high quality, reliable products that address the trends and demand in the markets in which we compete.Increases in the costs of energy, shipping and raw materials used in our products could impact our cost of goods and distribution and occupancy expenses, which would result in lower operating margins.4 Table of ContentsIncreases in the costs of energy, shipping and raw materials used in our products could impact our cost of goods and distribution and occupancy expenses, which would result in lower operating margins. Costs of raw materials used in our vendors’products and energy costs have been rising during the last several years, which has resulted in increased production costs for our suppliers.Costs of raw materials used in our products and energy costs have been rising during the last several years, which has resulted in increased production costs for our suppliers. These suppliers typically look to pass their increased costs along to us through price increases. The shipping costs for our products have risen as well and may continue to rise. While we typically try to pass increased supplier prices and shipping costs through to our customers or to modify our activities to mitigate the impact, we may not be successful. Failure to fully pass these increased prices and costs through to our customers or to modify our activities to mitigate the impact would have an adverse effect on our operating margins and could make our products less competitive, either of which could adversely impact our margins and results of operations.The unauthorized access to, or theft or destruction of, customer or employee personal, financial or other data or of our proprietary or confidential information that is stored in our information systems or by third parties on our behalf could impact our reputation and brand and expose us to potential liability and loss of revenues.The protection of customer, employee and Company data is critical to us. We are subject to laws relating to information security, privacy, cashless payments, consumer credit and fraud. Additionally, an increasing number of government and industry groups have established laws and standards for the protection of personal information. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with the frequent imposition of new and constantly changing requirements. Compliance with these requirements may result in cost increases due to necessary system changes and the development of new administrative processes. If we fail to comply with laws and regulations regarding privacy and security, we could be subject to significant fines, and become subject to investigations, litigation and the disruption of our operations.In the ordinary course of business, we receive and maintain credit card and other personal information from our customers, employees and vendors. Customers and employees have a high expectation that we will adequately protect their personal information. Third parties may have the technology or know-how to breach the security of this customer information, and our security measures and those of our technology vendors may not effectively prohibit others from obtaining improper access to this information. A number of retailers have experienced security breaches in which credit and debit card information may have been stolen. While we have not experienced a material cyber-attack, we are working with a third-party vendor to assist us in safeguarding our systems and protecting the material personal information of our customers, employees and vendors. While we have not experienced a cyber attack, we are working with a third-party vendor to assist us in safeguarding our systems and protecting the personal information of our customers, employees and vendors. Our analysis may not be able to adequately address or remedy the potential harm, which could result in the assessment against us for large remedial costs and other penalties, and could damage our reputation and adversely impact our customers.We rely heavily on our internal information systems, which, if not properly functioning, could materially and adversely affect our business.Our information systems have been in place for many years and are subject to system failures as well as problems caused by human error, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Many of our systems consist of a number of legacy or internally developed applications, which can be more difficult to upgrade to commercially available software. It may be time consuming and costly for us to retrieve data that is necessary for management to evaluate our systems of control and information flow. The Company is currently updating parts of the information systems within the accounting departments to enhance its reporting capabilities and to create more efficient and accurate accounting processes. In the future, management may decide to convert our information systems to a single enterprise solution. Such a conversion, while it would enhance the accessibility and reliability of our data, could be expensive and would not be without risk of data loss, delay or business interruption. Maintaining and operating these systems requires continuous investments. Failure of any of these internal information systems or material difficulties in upgrading these information systems could have material adverse effects on our business and our timely compliance with our reporting obligations.5 Table of ContentsWe may not be able to attract and retain key personnel.Our future performance will depend to a significant extent upon the efforts and abilities of certain key management and other personnel, including Glen Ceiley, our Chairman and CEO, and Don Wagner, Bisco President and Chief Operating Officer, as well as other executive officers and senior management. The loss of service of one or more of our key management members could have a material adverse effect on our business.The competitive pressures we face could have a material adverse effect on our business.The market for our products and services is very competitive. We compete for customers with other distributors, who sell similar or sometimes identical products, as well as with many of our suppliers. A failure to maintain and enhance our competitive position could adversely affect our business and prospects. Furthermore, our efforts to compete in the marketplace could cause deterioration of gross profit margins and, thus, overall profitability. Some of our competitors may have greater financial, personnel, capacity and other resources or a more extensive customer base than we do.Expansion RisksOur strategy of expanding into new geographic areas, including international markets, could be costly, subject us to additional risks and may not expand our revenues.Expansion RisksOur strategy of expanding into new geographic areas could be costly and may not expand our revenues. One of our primary growth strategies is to grow our business through the opening of sales offices in new geographic markets. This strategy requires continued investment, both financially, as well as management’s efforts to get the new offices operational. Based on our analysis of demographics in the United States, Canada, Mexico and countries within Asia, we currently estimate there is potential market opportunity in North America and Asia to support additional sales offices. In addition, our expansion into international markets such as Asia may encounter additional risks, challenges and difficulties that are not present for our U.S. operations, including the following:●lack of experience and expertise in foreign markets;●compliance with additional rules and regulations in non-U.S. jurisdictions, including export control and trade restrictions; ●economic and political instability, including trade tensions and wars;●costs and delays associated with transportations and communications;●coordination of operations through multiple jurisdictions and time zones; and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange ratesWe cannot guarantee that our estimates are accurate or that we will open enough offices to capitalize on the full market opportunity or that any new offices will be successful or profitable in the near future, or at all. In addition, a particular local market’s ability to support a sales office may change due to competition or local economic conditions.We may be unable to meet our goals regarding new office openings.Our growth, in part, is primarily dependent on our ability to attract new customers. Historically, our most effective way to attract new customers has been opening new sales offices in additional geographic regions or new markets. During fiscal 2024, the Company relocated some existing sales offices to larger office locations within its original region. During fiscal 2023, the Company opened two new geographical sales locations and relocated some existing locations to larger office locations within its original region. Given the recent economic uncertainty, we may not be able to open or grow new offices at our projected or desired rates or hire qualified sales personnel necessary to make such new offices successful. Given the recent economic uncertainty, we may not be able to open or grow new offices at our projected or desired rates or hire the qualified sales personnel necessary to make such new offices successful. Failure to do so could negatively impact our long-term growth and market share.6 Table of ContentsOpening sales offices in new markets presents increased risks that may prevent us from being profitable in these new locations, and/or may adversely affect our operating results.Opening sales offices in new markets presents increased risks that may prevent us from being profitable in these new locations, and/or may adversely affect our operating results. Our new sales offices do not typically achieve operating results comparable to our existing offices until after several years of operation. The added expenses relating to payroll, occupancy, and transportation costs can impact our ability to generate earnings. Offices in new geographic areas face additional challenges to achieving profitability, and we cannot guarantee how long it will take new offices to become profitable, or that such offices will ever become profitable. In new markets, we have less familiarity with local customer preferences and customers in these markets are less familiar with our name and capabilities. Entry into new markets may also bring us into competition with new, unfamiliar competitors. These challenges associated with opening new offices in new markets may have an adverse effect on our business and operating results.Our ability to successfully attract and retain qualified sales personnel is uncertain.Our success depends in large part on our ability to attract, motivate, and retain a sufficient number of qualified sales employees, who understand and appreciate our strategy and culture and are able to adequately represent us to our customers. During fiscal 2024, the Company added 42 sales employees and plan to continue to expand our sales team in the future. Qualified individuals of the requisite caliber and number needed to fill these positions may be in short supply in some areas, and the turnover rate in the industry is high. If we are unable to hire and retain personnel capable of consistently providing a high level of customer service, as demonstrated by their enthusiasm for our culture and product knowledge, our sales could be materially adversely affected. Additionally, competition for qualified employees could require us to pay higher wages to attract a sufficient number of employees. An inability to recruit and retain a sufficient number of qualified individuals in the future may also delay the planned openings of new offices. Any such delays, material increases in existing employee turnover rates, or increases in labor costs, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.Financial RisksWe may not have adequate or cost-effective liquidity or capital resources.Our ability to satisfy our cash needs depends on our ability to generate cash from operations and to access our line of credit and the capital markets, which are subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. In October 2023, the Company used $31.0 million of cash to purchase our Anaheim corporate headquarters and distribution center. As of August 31, 2024, there was no outstanding balance on our line of credit, which line of credit is secured by substantially all of Bisco’s assets. As of August 31, 2023, there was zero outstanding on our line of credit, which line of credit is secured by substantially all of Bisco’s assets. Further, the Company has a loan agreement with the Bank that financed the tenant improvements on the corporate headquarters, of which approximately $4.3 million was outstanding as of August 31, 2024. See Notes 4 and 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for further explanation. See Notes 4 and 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, Item 8 of this report for further explanation. Our ability to continue to secure financing is subject to our satisfaction of certain covenants contained in such agreements. As a result of the recent economic uncertainty primarily caused by inflation and high borrowing interest rates, we may need to pursue additional debt or equity financing or to refinance our existing loans, which funding may not be available on acceptable or favorable terms, on a timely basis or at all. As a result of the recent economic uncertainty primarily caused by inflation and high borrowing interest rates, we may need to pursue additional debt or equity financing, which funding may not be available on acceptable or favorable terms, on a timely basis or at all. The securities that might be issued in any future equity financing may have rights, preferences, and privileges that are senior to our common stock. Our failure to obtain such funding could adversely impact our ability to execute our business plan and our financial condition and results of operations.We have incurred significant losses in the past from trading in securities, and we may incur such losses in the future, which may also cause us to be in violation of covenants under our loan agreement.6 Table of ContentsFinancial RisksWe have incurred significant losses in the past from trading in securities, and we may incur such losses in the future, which may also cause us to be in violation of covenants under our loan agreement. Bisco has historically supplemented its capital resources in part from cash generated by trading in marketable domestic equity securities. Bisco’s investment strategy includes taking both long and short positions, as well as utilizing options to maximize return. This strategy can lead, and has led, to significant losses from time to time based on market conditions and trends, as well as the performance of the specific companies in which we invest. We may incur losses in future periods from such trading activities, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition.In addition, unanticipated losses from our trading activities may cause Bisco to be in violation of certain covenants under its line of credit agreement with Citizen’s Business Bank, located in Anaheim, CA. The agreement is secured by substantially all of Bisco’s assets. The loan agreement contains covenants which require that, on a quarterly basis, Bisco’s losses from trading in securities not exceed its pre-tax operating income. We cannot assure you that unanticipated losses from our trading activities will not cause us to violate our 7 Table of Contentscovenants in the future or that the bank will grant a waiver for any such default or that it will not exercise its remedies, which could include the refusal to allow additional borrowings on the line of credit or the acceleration of the obligation’s maturity date and foreclosure on Bisco’s assets, with respect to any such noncompliance, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. We cannot assure you that unanticipated losses from our trading activities will not cause us to violate our covenants in the future or that the bank will grant a waiver for any such default or that it will not exercise its remedies, which could include the refusal to allow additional borrowings on the line of credit or the acceleration of the obligation’s maturity date and foreclosure on Bisco’s assets, with respect to any such noncompliance, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk, and changes in foreign exchange rates could increase our costs to procure products and impact our foreign sales.Because the functional currency related to our Canadian operations and certain of our foreign vendor purchases is the applicable local currency, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk arising from transactions in the normal course of business. Fluctuations in the relative strength of foreign economies and their related currencies could adversely impact our ability to procure products overseas at competitive prices and our foreign sales. Historically, our primary exchange rate exposure has been with the Canadian dollar.Concentration of Ownership RisksThe Company’s Chairman and CEO holds almost all of our voting stock and can control the election of directors and significant corporate actions.Glen Ceiley, our Chairman and CEO, beneficially owns or controls approximately 96% of our outstanding voting stock. As such, Mr. Ceiley is able to exert significant influence over the outcome of almost all corporate matters, including the election of the Board of Directors and significant corporate transactions requiring a stockholder vote, such as a merger or a sale of the Company or our assets. This concentration of ownership and influence in management and board decision-making could also harm the price of our common stock by, among other things, discouraging a potential acquirer from seeking to acquire shares of our common stock (whether by making a tender offer or otherwise) or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Company. Given the significant influence of our Chairman and CEO, the Company may take actions to which minority stockholders may disagree or oppose.Sales of our common stock by Glen Ceiley could cause the price of our common stock to decline.7 Table of ContentsSales of our common stock by Glen Ceiley could cause the price of our common stock to decline. There is currently no established trading market for our common stock, and the volume of any stock sales has generally been low. As of August 31, 2024, the number of shares held by non-affiliates of Mr. Ceiley was less than 200,000 shares. If Mr. Ceiley sells or seeks to sell a substantial number of his shares of our common stock in the future, the market price of our common stock could decline. The perception among investors that these sales may occur could produce the same effect. Due to the limited available public float, certain investors may not be able or willing to invest in the Company’s securities, which could also impact the market price of our common stock.General Risk FactorsChanges and uncertainties in the macroeconomic conditions have harmed and could continue to harm our operating results.General Risk FactorsChanges and uncertainties in the economy have harmed and could continue to harm our operating results. As a result of economic uncertainties primarily caused by inflation and high borrowing interest rates, our operating results, and the economic strength of our customers and suppliers, are increasingly difficult to predict. Sales of our products are affected by many factors, including, among others, general economic conditions, interest rates, inflation, liquidity in the credit markets, unemployment trends, shipping costs, geopolitical events, and other factors. Although we sell our products to customers in a broad range of industries, if economic conditions significantly weaken on a global scale it may cause some of our customers to experience a slowdown, from time to time, which may in turn have an adverse effect on our sales and operating results. Changes and uncertainties in the economy also increase the risk of uncollectible accounts receivable. The pricing we receive from suppliers may also be impacted by general economic conditions. Continued and future changes and uncertainties in the economic climate in the United States and elsewhere could have a similar negative impact on the rate and amounts of purchases by our current and potential customers, create price inflation for our products, or otherwise have a negative impact on our expenses, gross margins and revenues, and could hinder our growth.If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting or experience material weaknesses in our system of internal controls, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately or timely or detect fraud, which could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and our business.We currently have, and from time to time have had, material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting due to a variety of issues, including, without limitation, significant deficiencies in the process related to the preparation of our financial statements, 8 Table of Contentssegregation of duties, sufficient control in the area of financial reporting oversight and review, and appropriate personnel to ensure the complete and proper application of GAAP as it relates to certain routine accounting transactions.We have from time to time had material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting due to a variety of issues, including, without limitation, significant deficiencies in the process related to the preparation of our financial statements, segregation of duties, sufficient control in the area of financial reporting oversight and review, and appropriate personnel to ensure the complete and proper application of GAAP as it relates to certain routine accounting transactions. Although we believe we are making progress in mitigating these material weaknesses, we may experience material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the future and may fail to maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting that complies with the applicable reporting. Although we believe we are making progress in mitigating these material weaknesses, we may experience material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the future and may fail to maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting that complies with the applicable reporting. Our failure to address any deficiencies or weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or to properly maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could impact our ability to prevent fraud or to issue our financial statements in a timely manner that presents fairly, in accordance with GAAP, our financial condition and results of operations. Our failure to address any deficiencies or weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or to properly maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could impact our ability to prevent fraud or to issue our financial statements in a timely manner that presents fairly, in accordance with GAAP, our financial condition and results of operations. The existence of any such deficiencies and/or weaknesses, even if cured, may also lead to the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, could harm our business and negatively impact the trading price of our common stock. The existence of any such deficiencies and/or weaknesses, even if cured, may also lead to the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, could harm our business and negatively impact the trading price of our common stock. Such deficiencies or material weaknesses may also subject us to lawsuits, investigations and other penalties. Such deficiencies or material weaknesses may also subject us to lawsuits, investigations and other penalties. Item 1B. Unresolved Staff CommentsNone.Item 1C.Item 1A. CybersecurityCybersecurity Risk Management and StrategyOur cybersecurity policies and processes are fully integrated into our Risk Management procedures and are based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (NIST Cybersecurity Framework), a toolkit for organizations to manage cybersecurity risk in its assessment of cybersecurity capabilities and in developing cybersecurity priorities. In addition to internal assessments, our cybersecurity strategy and capabilities are evaluated and audited against the NIST Framework and industry best practices by independent, third-party, leading specialists in cybersecurity. We strive to create a culture of cybersecurity resilience and awareness. This tone is continuously reinforced with our employees through education and regular testing. We continue to improve our programs and invest in the security of our systems, operations, people, infrastructure, and cloud environments. Our cybersecurity strategy seeks to follow industry best practices designed to ensure compliance with applicable global privacy and regulatory requirements. To protect our customers, we administer physical, technological and administrative controls on data privacy and security. We regularly validate our security controls by performing penetration testing, compliance audits, as well as proactive security testing to ensure our systems and controls are secure. We plan to brief the Board of Directors on our strategy and roadmap in alignment with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and we plan to provide our Board with regular updates regarding cybersecurity risks, threat landscape and overall program progress.We believe that the risks from cybersecurity threats thus far, including any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected and are not reasonably likely to materially affect our business, including our business strategy, financial condition or results of operations. For additional information about the cybersecurity risks, see Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” of this Annual Report.Our cybersecurity risk management procedures are focused on the following key areas:Education and AwarenessWe provide required security awareness education and training to our employees and contractors with system access that focuses on various aspects of the cybersecurity world. Users of our internal systems are required to complete an annual cybersecurity awareness training and are tested for awareness on a regular basis. We also provide tailored training courses to functional technology employees and employees who process personal or sensitive information.Threat Management, Incident Response, and Recovery PlanningWe have established and maintain a comprehensive incident response and recovery plan designed to identify, contain and eradicate cybersecurity threats, with recovery from an incident as rapidly as possible. Our information security team utilizes threat technologies and vendors 24/7 to monitor and respond to security threats. In the event of a security incident, a defined procedure outlines containment, response and immediate recovery actions. The incident response plan is tested, evaluated and updated no less than on an annual basis.9 Table of ContentsData and Consumer PrivacyOur data and consumer privacy program monitors, adapts to and works diligently to comply with changes in global privacy legislation. We have implemented technical, procedural and organizational measures designed to comply with applicable data protection and consumer privacy laws. We conduct external benchmarking, as well as privacy compliance audits, to stay abreast of developing privacy laws and understand developing risks, best practices and industry trends.Third-Party Risk ManagementWe recognize the risks associated with the use of vendors, service providers, and other third parties that provide information system services to us, process information on our behalf, or have access to our information systems. The Company has processes in place to oversee and manage these risks. We have an information risk management program that includes a vendor risk assessment process, whereby we systematically oversee and identify risks from cybersecurity threats related to our use of key third-party service providers.Cybersecurity GovernanceOur executive management team and Board of Directors oversee our policies with respect to risk assessment and the management of those risks that may be material to us, including cybersecurity risks. While cybersecurity resilience is the responsibility of every employee and contractor, our cybersecurity program is led by the Director of Information Technology (“Director of IT”), who reports to the President and COO. Our Director of IT has extensive experience in network engineering and cybersecurity operations from both a practical and management standpoint and attends training in cybersecurity and risk mitigation. We plan to provide our Board of Directors with a comprehensive annual report of cybersecurity risks, threat landscape, and overall program status. On an annual basis, the President also will report to the Board of Directors on various metrics on threat management, incident response and recovery planning, along with industry benchmarks..