Static electricty - Can it damage audio gear

I have run into a problem with static electricity and my AVP2 processor. It took a while to figure out but if I rub my foot on the carpet several times and touch the processor it will suddenly change into another mode or freeze into a setup mode. There is no shock or spark but the unit still freezes. Can this cause permanent damage to any of the circuitry ?

This is the 1 st time in 6 years that it has happened. Can a faulty component in the processor cause this problem ? Any suggestions

Thanks , Dave