From reports of tainted food and product recalls to cyber breaches resulting in theft of consumer data, incidents that reduce customers' trust in businesses are becoming increasingly visible to the general public. That makes trust-related risks a fast-growing area of vulnerability that could threaten companies' ability to compete. Consider, for example, how a highly publicized product defect that harms consumers might affect a business's long-term success.

The heightened transparency of our digital world makes trust a hyper-flammable, ever-present concern that extends far beyond media headlines and brief dips in reputation. Instead, an incident that compromises the trust of key stakeholders can have a significant and lasting impact on a company's bottom line.