Book excerpt: Lance Wright shows why business in the 21st century requires a new understanding of the intersection of risk, security, and human resource management. He argues that these areas should no longer be considered separate processes, handled by technical specialists with limited spheres of expertise. People, risk and security management should be treated as a critically important integrated business management system. People may be your greatest asset – but they can also be your biggest liability. They expose you to all sorts of risks – risks from things they can do (or fail to do) and from things that can be done to them. No matter how tight a risk and security management policy may be in theory, it can fail on its first contact with reality if it doesn’t understand the people involved. Wright understands people, risk and security like few others. For years he was in charge people management for leading oil companies – getting people into and out of some of the most dangerous and hostile work environments on the planet – and keeping them safe while they were there. Then he was responsible for a private army, literally licenced to kill, guarding nuclear submarines that were being decommissioned as part of the Megatons to Megawatts program. Risk is more than a set of formulas. Security is more than guns, gates, and badges. Both ultimately come down to the people you are responsible for. One day, the depth of your understanding of that connection may what stands between you and disaster.