How Do Forks, Both Accidental and Malicious, Relate to the Longest Chain Rule?

Forks occur when two or more miners find a block simultaneously (accidental) or when a malicious actor intentionally creates a separate chain (malicious). The longest chain rule is the mechanism used to resolve these forks: the network eventually abandons the shorter chain in favor of the longer one.

In both cases, the rule acts as the final arbiter of consensus, but malicious forks exploit the rule for gain.