Latest news with #ChadAngle
Forbes
31-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
From Courtroom To Boardroom: Why Legal Advisors Must Understand Online Risk
Chad Angle, Head of ReputationDefender at Gen Digital. Expert in Executive Privacy, Digital Risk Strategy, and Online Reputation Management. In my role, I often join privacy audits and digital exposure reviews with senior legal teams. These meetings usually follow a familiar rhythm: data maps, access controls and third-party risk. But recently, in a session with a Fortune 100 client, the general counsel paused, smiled and said, 'You know what's wild? Our board spent more time last quarter debating the TikTok ban than tax compliance.' Everyone laughed, but the point was made. The definition of risk is changing—and fast. From deepfake videos and doxxing campaigns to manipulated search results and AI-generated misinformation, reputational threats no longer wait for a courtroom. They unfold in real time, online, and are increasingly showing up on the agendas of governance meetings. Legal advisors are being pulled into these conversations whether they are ready or not. And in 2025, fluency in digital visibility, online privacy and reputational risk is no longer optional. It's not enough to focus on contracts, compliance and litigation. Legal professionals, especially those who serve as board members or advise executives, need fluency in how digital visibility, online privacy and public narratives affect enterprise risk. According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey cited in the National Association of Corporate Directors' Directorship magazine, "72 percent of directors reported that going through a recent reputational crisis reflected negatively on the board members themselves." And 80% of directors under 60 expected this to impact their personal brand. As reputational threats become more personal, legal advisors and board leaders alike are facing a new kind of exposure—one that traditional risk frameworks were not designed to handle. Lawyers are already central to governance. Now they're being asked to bridge the gap between legal and digital risk, often with little precedent or playbooks. Here are five ways that legal professionals can lean into this expanded role and bring real value to the organizations they serve. 1. Start with a digital exposure review, not just a legal audit. Most boards already run background checks and conflict-of-interest reviews during onboarding for new hires. But few conduct a comprehensive scan of what the internet is saying about them. That's a mistake. Before an incident occurs, advisors should encourage a digital audit of directors, executives and key stakeholders. This includes reviewing what appears in search results, identifying vulnerable data on people search sites and flagging old content that could be taken out of context. Legal teams don't need to do this work themselves, but they do need to make sure that someone does it. 2. Treat online incidents like a crisis, not a sideshow. When misinformation or a viral tweet surfaces, legal counsel is often looped in late, after the fire has started. Instead, lawyers should be at the table when digital crisis plans are created. Whether the issue is a rogue employee's comment or a coordinated smear campaign, reputation incidents deserve the same rigor as product recalls or regulatory violations. Escalation paths should be clear. Roles should be defined. Response protocols should be rehearsed. The best time to plan is before the first headline hits. 3. Know where legal tools fall short. Many people assume defamation claims or cease-and-desist letters are enough to address online attacks. In reality, they are not always effective. Content platforms are protected. Anonymous speech is hard to unmask. Even when removal is possible, the timeline is often months, not days. Understanding the limits of legal remedies is critical. In many cases, strategic suppression, proactive digital hygiene or partnerships with cybersecurity and PR teams can deliver faster, more reliable outcomes. The point isn't to replace legal action. It's to expand your toolkit. 4. Integrate online risk into governance training. Directors are trained to oversee financials, ethics and enterprise risk. But few are prepared to navigate their own digital footprint. Legal advisors should advocate for briefings that include topics like data broker exposure, personal privacy settings, impersonation risks and the impact of search visibility on stakeholder trust. When directors understand these dynamics, they will be better equipped to identify vulnerabilities and support smarter policies. It's not about turning them into digital experts. It's about helping them ask the right questions. 5. Work across departments to strengthen resilience. Online risk doesn't fall neatly under one department. That's why legal teams must collaborate with IT, communications, HR and outside vendors to manage it. Lawyers are often the connective tissue between strategy and execution. They're uniquely positioned to align stakeholders, document decision-making and ensure that any response plan is legally sound. The more integrated the approach, the faster the response and the lower the risk. Final Thoughts Lawyers have always been stewards of trust. In 2025, that role is expanding. The ability to interpret contracts or defend clients in court remains vital, but it's no longer enough. Boards are asking for guidance on reputational threats that emerge from pixels—digital footprints and online discourse—not just paperwork. Those who understand this shift will become more than legal advisors. They'll serve as indispensable partners in protecting brand, leadership and long-term value. Because in today's world, the courtroom may still be the final line of defense, but reputational battles often begin long before that: with a Google search. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Beyond Compliance: Why Financial Firms Must Get Ahead Of The Algorithm
Chad Angle, Head of ReputationDefender at Gen Digital | Expert in Growth Strategy, Online Reputation Management, & Executive Privacy. U.S. corporations invest between 1.3% and 3.3% of their total wage bill on regulatory compliance. This equates to nearly $240 billion per year in labor expenses and potentially much more in other costs. But while no one is going to argue about the importance of compliance, it is a critical error to think that due diligence ends there. The unfortunate reality is that it doesn't matter how squeaky clean a financial advisor's past behavior is—all it takes is a single negative online post that pops up on page one of the Google search results, and their reputation is at risk of being irreparably damaged. What is particularly frightening about this situation is that it doesn't make a difference whether the information in the negative post is true or not. Once that information is out there, it is often the first thing that people will see when searching for or researching a financial advisor. Not only is it virtually impossible to remove damaging information from the internet, but many financial professionals may not even be aware that it's out there, prominently displayed on the search results. While this risk exists for virtually everyone, financial advisors are particularly vulnerable due to the fact that they work in a trust-based industry. Negative reviews from disgruntled former clients, evidence of regulatory infractions, results of lawsuits or other damaging developments and even negative content maliciously posted by competitors can all have a detrimental effect on an advisor's credibility and mean the difference between attracting and retaining valuable clients and losing them. Fortunately, there is a solution to stay ahead of negative Google search results: online reputation management. Through a variety of data-informed strategies, including reputation monitoring, suppression of negative search results and customized reputation strategies, financial advisors can stay ahead of the Google algorithm and ensure that those critical first few pages of their search results don't contain critically damaging content. Even the most upstanding, compliant advisor can suffer catastrophic damage if a malicious or uninformed post makes it to the top of the search results. Advisors are at risk of suffering reputational damage and losing clients. In this modern digital age, when virtually everyone has immediate access to the internet, even the perception of unethical or illegal behavior can be just as damaging as an instance of regulatory noncompliance. Many people make the mistake of thinking that potential clients simply aren't searching for them on Google and other search engines or looking at reviews. In reality, only 4% of consumers reportedly never check business reviews. The vast majority of people are actively using reviews to help them decide whom to hire and work with—and in the financial industry, where trustworthiness is paramount, the weight of that statistic cannot be overstated. There's another aspect of reviews and search engine results that most people miss, and that is the fact that search engines actually use reviews to help them rank search results. In other words, it's not enough to simply ensure that there aren't any negative reviews out there that can damage a financial advisor's reputation—it is also important to have positive reviews and a positive narrative that can help to elevate the advisor to the top of the search results, as this increases the odds that they will attract new clients. Online reputation management and search engine optimization are strategies that can help to improve an advisor's online presence in two ways—suppressing negative content (typically by moving it down off the first few pages of the results, the point where most people limit their searching) while at the same time elevating positive content so that it shows up on those ever-important first few pages. The internet has become ubiquitous in society, and to build a strong brand that attracts new clients and retains existing ones, financial services companies must manage their online reputation. While most of that work must be done organically through the development of a strong team, offering top-notch services and maintaining responsive customer service, achieving excellence is no longer enough to sustain a brand. It's equally important to protect their reputation for excellence—and that's where online reputation management comes in. Leaders of financial services companies can implement proactive measures to maintain a positive online reputation. Firstly, regularly publish high-quality, informative content on reputable platforms such as industry blogs, LinkedIn and respected financial news sites to boost your firm's positive visibility online. This approach ensures that valuable, credible content consistently appears at the top of search results, naturally suppressing any negative content that might arise. Engage positively with online communities and promptly address client feedback, publicly and professionally, to also demonstrate transparency and trustworthiness—critical attributes within the financial industry. Additionally, encourage satisfied clients to leave authentic reviews on credible platforms like Google Business, Yelp or industry-specific review sites. This can powerfully influence search rankings in the company's favor. Implementing a structured process to solicit and share client testimonials can also help ensure a steady flow of positive online content, further elevating a company's reputation. Lastly, continuous monitoring of the firm's digital footprint, including social media mentions, online reviews and search engine results, is essential. Early identification and rapid response to any emerging issues or inaccuracies can prevent negative content from gaining prominence, safeguarding the firm's reputation proactively. Another option is to invest in outside help from reputation management consultants. Leaders planning to do so should consider a team that will leverage search engine optimization (SEO), conduct regular online audits for compromising information, clean up and suppress any negative press or posts and attract organic traffic and positive reviews through a multifaceted, strategic plan specifically tailored to the needs of their clients. For financial firms with dozens of advisors who could potentially experience damaging online activity, or independent financial advisors who can't afford the loss of business that comes with even one negative review, online reputation management should not be overlooked. Otherwise, no amount of investment in compliance can guarantee a strong reputation or long-term customer loyalty. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
