Front-page breaches have transformed the corporate landscape and, with it, the role of general counsel. First, the table stakes — the day-to-day lawyering that defines the work of the office of the general counsel (OGC) under any circumstances — are higher. Not merely job description details, these changes are significant indices of the sheer magnitude of the crisis at hand.

For example: The regulatory burden is broader and deeper, a complex web potentially entangling HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley and state regulations. It's a new labyrinth demanding higher-level in-house practice.

The OGC must be a fixture of enterprise-wide training programs. It is now the GC's responsibility to ensure that employees at every level understand applicable policies.