What is in a Name?

First, a bit of history. Janus, in Roman religion, the animistic spirit of doorways (januae) and archways (jani). Janus and the nymph Camasene were the parents of Tiberinus, whose death in or by the river Albula caused it to be renamed Tiber.

The worship of Janus traditionally dates back to Romulus and a period even before the actual founding of Rome. There were many jani (i.e., ceremonial gateways) in Rome; these were usually freestanding structures used for symbolically auspicious entrances or exits.

Particular superstition was attached to the departure of a Roman army, for which there were lucky and unlucky ways to march through a janus. The most famous janus in Rome was the Janus Geminus, a shrine of Janus on the north side of the Forum. It was a simple rectangular bronze structure with double doors at each end. Traditionally, the doors of this shrine were left open in times of war and were kept closed when Rome was at peace. According to the Roman historian Livy, the gates were closed only twice in the long period between Numa Pompilius (7th century BC) and Augustus (1st century BC).

Some scholars regard Janus as the god of all beginnings and believe his association with doorways is derivative. He was invoked as the first of any gods in regular liturgies. The beginning of the day, month, and year, both calendrical and agricultural, were sacred to him. The month of January is named for him, and his festival took place on January 9, the Agonium. Several vital temples were erected to Janus, and it is assumed that there was also an early cult on the Janiculum, which the ancients took to mean “the city of Janus.”

A double-faced head represented Janus, who was represented in art either with or without a beard. Occasionally, he was depicted as four-faced—as the spirit of the four-way arch. ~ Encyclopædia Britannica

So why Janus Security Consulting? The Risk, Security, and Governance space, in many ways, has grown significantly in the past decade, superseding boundaries once thought to be the parameters for these three practice areas. While many businesses have come to realize Information Security/Cybersecurity is no longer (not that it ever was) simply an IT function, they have been proactive in providing appropriate seats at the executive table and decision-making processes, allowing Security to become a culture and thought leader hand in hand with the business. The same applies very much to the risk management and governance space.

Janus Security Consulting LLC believes that Security, Risk Management, and Governance are not a roadblock, walls to be scaled, or detriments to smart business decisions but an enabler. Providing businesses with an agile and accessible framework and process for achieving successful business goals in the most secure manner possible.