I gathered a bit of data on this topic to see how serious this is, considering all the fuss going on lately...
Settlement level 4, CAIC building equipped, no research done:
Data Breach Settlement Security Feb 20th 21:29 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | Credits Loss -5,359, Morale Affected: -1
Lights Out Trade & Research Feb 18th 20:54 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | SRP Loss -52, Morale Affected: -1
Lab Accident Trade & Research Feb 20th 11:14 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | SRP Loss -61, Morale Affected: -1
Too Fast - Too Fast! Settlement Security Feb 18th 11:09 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | Credits Loss -5,434 | HP Loss -1,052, Morale Affected: -2
Settlement level 5, CAIC building equipped, no research done:
Warning Flammable Emergency Services Feb 20th 22:34 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | Credits Loss -6,223 | HP Loss -1,187, Morale Affected: -2
Cant Save Them All Emergency Services Feb 18th 22:04 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | Credits Loss -5,142 , Morale Affected: -1
Lab Accident Trade & Research Feb 20th 21:49 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | SRP Loss -63, Morale Affected: -2
Too Fast - Too Fast! Settlement Security Feb 18th 21:34 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | Credits Loss -5,174 | HP Loss -865, Morale Affected: -1
Settlement level 6, CAIC building equipped, 20% research in all three (Mos Eisley):
Yeah for the AI Complex! Emergency Services Feb 20th 22:29 Good Event
Settlement Critical Systems were unaffected by this event, Morale Affected: 2 (this was meant as a bad event, but was prevented from happening)
Cant Save Them All Emergency Services Feb 18th 21:39 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | Credits Loss -6,310, Morale Affected: -2
Settlement level 6, CAIC building equipped, 18% research in all three (Bestine):
Credit where credits due Settlement Security Feb 21st 01:09 Good Event
Event Systems Affected | Credits Gained 6,158, Morale Affected: 1
Lights Out Trade & Research Feb 19th 00:54 Bad Event
Event Systems Affected | SRP Loss -54, Morale Affected: -2
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Observations?
I suggested players that have no research done but CAIC equipped to simply ignore event system for now. Far better to spend SRPs to advance to level 5 and place Advanced University down. Will fetch a lot more SRPs as bad events can take away. Better spent SRPs would be even in +1 in ore mining
Only difference i can see is that settlement repair facilities will be needed down the road. Some events damage settlement HP and when it comes low enough settlement will start suffering -5 to morale on daily basis. Low HP and strong enough shield in order to avoid investing in repair facility is no longer sustainable. Since there are many different events and HP damaging ones are only some of them, one can go on as long as he/she wants using settlement armour kits or repair pods, but it will require a bit more caring.
If you dont have a CAIC equipped, priority should of course be to get one. Though i havent seen how severe events are if you dont have one, i doubt they will do in worst case scenario anything else but cripple settlement a bit until one is obtained.
So in the end (as usually turns out with such things), a lot of fuss for nothing...