When asked what makes their organization different, CEOs are often quick to draw attention to their team members. It’s frequently said that the people are what make an organization. That’s why companies spend countless resources making their workplace the best possible environment for employees to continue returning to. This strategy also pays off in the long run for your business’s compliance and security goals, as employees are simultaneously your greatest motivator and one of your biggest risks when it comes to disaster and data loss.

Human error is one of the leading causes of data breaches that can affect your business for years to come. Before you jump to conclusions about which employee is putting your organization at risk, it’s important to note that not all human error happens with malicious intent—or even any intent at all. Employees, both knowingly and unknowingly, make adjustments and alterations to your tech landscape every single day, simply by generating and working with your organization’s data. With all of those moving parts, it’s simple to see how a misconfiguration could lead to opening an exploitable system.

Keep reading if you’re looking to learn more about how your employees can be assets and threats at the same time, how to mitigate that risk through education and engagement, and also practical security tips to prevent losses or breaches caused by human intervention. By engaging your workforce, you have the capabilities to prevent devastating disasters down the road, giving you and your team some peace of mind and extra means to move toward your organization’s long-term goals.