TD Ameritrade 2018 Annual Report

15 from an internal database. Following the incident, we incurred significant remediation costs. In addition, in 2013, Scottrade, which we acquired in September 2017, experienced a database breach. We are aware of subsequent attempts by other attackers to penetrate our systems using similar techniques and similar attacks against other financial institutions. Although we have taken steps to reduce the risk of such threats, our risk and exposure to a cyber-attack or related breach remains heightened due to the evolving nature of these threats, our plans to continue to implement mobile access solutions to serve our clients, our routine transmission of sensitive information to third parties, the current global economic and political environment, external extremist parties and other developing factors. If a cyber-attack or similar breach were to occur, we could suffer damage to our reputation and incur significant remediation costs and losses. In providing services to clients, wemanage, utilize and store sensitive and confidential client data, including personal data. As a result, we are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect this information, such as U.S. federal and state laws and foreign regulations governing the protection of personally identifiable information. These laws and regulations are increasing in complexity and number, change frequently and sometimes conflict. If any person, including any of our employees, negligently disregards or intentionally breaches our established controls with respect to client data, or otherwise mismanages or misappropriates that data, we could be subject to significant monetary damages, regulatory enforcement actions, fines and/or criminal prosecution in one or more jurisdictions. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential client data, whether through systems failure, employee negligence, fraud or misappropriation, could damage our reputation and cause us to lose clients. Similarly, unauthorized access to or through our information systems, whether by our employees or third parties, including a cyber-attack by third parties who may deploy viruses, worms or other malicious software programs, could result in negative publicity, significant remediation costs, legal liability, regulatory fines, financial responsibility under our asset protection guarantee to reimburse clients for losses in their accounts resulting from unauthorized activity in their accounts (through no fault of the client) and damage to our reputation and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, our liability insurance might not be sufficient in type or amount to cover us against claims related to security breaches, cyber-attacks and other related breaches. We also face risk related to external fraud involving the misappropriation and use of clients' user names, passwords or other personal information to gain access to their accounts. This could occur from the compromise of clients' personal electronic devices or as a result of a data security breach at an unrelated company where clients' personal information is taken and then made available to fraudsters. This risk has grown in recent years due to the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime and other external parties, including foreign state-sponsored parties. Losses in client accounts reimbursed under our asset protection guarantee against unauthorized account activity (through no fault of the client) could have adverse impacts on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Aggressive competition could reduce our market share and harm our financial performance. The market for electronic brokerage services is continually evolving and is intensely competitive. The retail brokerage industry has experienced significant consolidation, which may continue in the future, and which may increase competitive pressures in the industry. Consolidation could enable other firms to offer a broader range of products and services than we do, or offer them at lower prices. There has been aggressive price competition in the industry, including various free trade offers, reduced trading commissions and higher interest rates paid on cash held in client accounts. We expect this competitive environment to continue in the future. We face direct competition fromnumerous retail brokerage firms, includingE*TRADEFinancial Corporation, TheCharles SchwabCorporation and Fidelity Investments. We also encounter competition from the broker-dealer affiliates of established full- commission brokerage firms, such asMerrill Lynch andMorganStanley, aswell as frombanks, mutual fund sponsors, online wealth management services (including so-called "robo-advisors") and other financial institutions and organizations, some of which provide online brokerage services. Some of our competitors have greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources, offer a wider range of services and financial products, and have greater name recognition and a more extensive client base than we do. We believe that the general financial success of companies within the retail securities industry will continue to attract new competitors to the industry, such as software development companies, insurance companies, providers of online financial information and others. These companiesmay provide amore comprehensive suite of services thanwe do or offer services at lower prices. Increased competition, including pricing pressure, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.