WHAT DID THE ROMANS EVER DO FOR THE PSR?
Security is not a modern invention. Millennia ago, the Roman Empire—spanning continents and enduring centuries—mastered the art of safeguarding its dominion with a sophistication that echoes through time. From impregnable walls to encrypted dispatches, the Romans wove a tapestry of protective measures that remain startlingly relevant. Today, the New Zealand Government’s Protective Security Requirements (PSR) offers a modern framework for managing security risks, encompassing governance, personnel integrity, information protection, and physical defences. But what, precisely, did the Romans ever do for the PSR? Let us traverse the ancient world to find out, uncovering timeless lessons and the enduring need for a meticulous, risk-specific approach to security.
Fortresses and Frontiers: The Bedrock of Physical Defence
Imagine standing before Hadrian’s Wall, its 73 miles of stone snaking across northern England, a resolute barrier against the chaos beyond. Constructed in the 2nd century AD, this marvel of Roman engineering was more than a wall—it was a system. Towers punctuated its length, gates controlled passage, and watchtowers scanned the horizon. The Romans understood that physical security was the foundation of stability, a principle mirrored in the PSR’s emphasis on protecting assets and people from tangible threats.
Roman fortifications extended beyond Hadrian’s Wall. Cities like Rome boasted the Aurelian Walls, while military camps—castra—were designed with precision: ditches, ramparts, and palisades encircling a grid of barracks and armouries. Access was tightly regulated, with sentries and lock systems safeguarding sensitive zones. These measures resonate with the PSR’s call for robust barriers, surveillance, and controlled entry to shield critical infrastructure.
Yet, the Romans didn’t merely erect walls and call it a day. Their physical security was dynamic—patrols roamed perimeters, alarm systems (crude by today’s standards, yet effective) signalled breaches, and advanced weaponry like the ballista bolstered their defences. This layered approach underscores a vital truth: effective security demands more than hardware. It requires a process, one that identifies specific risks—be they Scottish tribes or modern intruders—and tailors mitigations accordingly. A consultancy like ICARAS exemplifies this, ensuring that every measure addresses a precise vulnerability, rather than relying on generic solutions that may oversell equipment without tackling root causes.
The Human Element: Loyalty as a Safeguard
The Roman Empire thrived not just on stone, but on people. Its legions and administrators were its lifeblood, and the Romans knew that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Their approach to personnel security was rigorous, a precursor to the PSR’s focus on ensuring trustworthiness among those with access to sensitive roles.
Soldiers underwent stringent vetting: citizenship, physical fitness, and a clean record were prerequisites. Officers faced even sterner scrutiny—social standing, leadership prowess, and loyalty oaths bound them to the Emperor. Breach an oath, and the consequences were dire: exile, imprisonment, or worse. The Praetorian Guard, an elite cadre tasked with protecting the Emperor, epitomised this ethos, their allegiance both a shield and a sword.
This mirrors the PSR’s insistence on assessing individuals’ suitability, a process that mitigates insider threats. The Romans understood that loyalty cannot be assumed—it must be cultivated and verified. Today, a structured risk management approach, such as that offered by a consultancy like ICARAS, refines this further. It ensures that personnel security isn’t a box-ticking exercise but a deliberate strategy, pinpointing risks like disloyalty or coercion and crafting bespoke countermeasures.
Secrets in Plain Sight: The Art of Concealment
In an empire stretching from Britannia to Judea, information was power—and vulnerability. The Romans excelled at protecting it, employing ciphers that would intrigue even a modern cryptologist. The Caesar Cipher, shifting letters by a fixed number, was Julius Caesar’s tool for clandestine correspondence. More ingenious still was the scytale, a rod-and-parchment system that rendered messages gibberish without the matching key. The Polybius Square, with its grid-based substitutions, added further complexity.
These methods align with the PSR’s priority of safeguarding information from unauthorised eyes. Roman generals and diplomats relied on secure communication to outmanoeuvre foes, just as modern organisations depend on confidentiality to protect operations. The lesson is clear: information security is not an afterthought but a cornerstone of resilience.
Yet, the Romans’ success hinged on specificity—each cipher countered a particular threat, from intercepted scrolls to eavesdropping spies. This precision is critical today. A consultancy like ICARAS brings this discipline to the fore, designing protections that address an organisation’s unique risks, avoiding the trap of off-the-shelf solutions that may dazzle with technology but miss the mark on relevance.
Order Amid Chaos: Governance and Crisis Readiness
Rome’s vastness demanded more than walls and ciphers—it required a system to hold it all together. Security governance was the glue, a lattice of laws, institutions, and strategies that maintained order. The Senate wielded influence, shaping policy and overseeing compliance, while the Praetorian Guard doubled as enforcers and kingmakers. Laws governed everything from trade to treason, with punishments calibrated to deter dissent.
Crucially, the Romans planned for crises. Military outposts were stocked with provisions, diplomatic alliances preempted conflicts, and legions stood ready to quash rebellions. This foresight parallels the PSR’s governance framework, which integrates risk management into organisational DNA, preparing for disruptions as much as preventing them.
The Roman system wasn’t flawless—overreach and corruption occasionally undermined it—but its structure endured. Modern governance demands similar rigour, underpinned by a process that anticipates threats and tailors responses. Here, a consultancy like ICARAS shines, offering a methodology that eschews superficial reviews for a deep dive into an organisation’s risk profile, ensuring resilience against both everyday hazards and extraordinary crises.
The Process Is Paramount
The Romans didn’t secure an empire by chance. Their measures—fortifications, vetting, ciphers, governance—worked because they were deliberate, each addressing a specific peril. This is the thread that ties their legacy to the PSR: security succeeds when it’s purposeful, not prescriptive.
Today’s landscape is more complex, with threats ranging from physical breaches to insider leaks. A one-size-fits-all approach—say, a cursory review paired with costly gadgets—falls short. True protection demands a structured process, one that dissects risks and aligns mitigations with precision. A Security Risk Management Consultancy like ICARAS embodies this, delivering clarity where generic offerings falter, ensuring that every pound spent fortifies rather than merely decorates.
Conclusion: An Empire’s Lessons for Today
The Romans gave us more than aqueducts and roads—they gifted us a blueprint for security that endures in the PSR’s principles. Their walls taught us to fortify, their oaths to trust judiciously, their ciphers to conceal wisely, and their governance to plan relentlessly. These lessons, honed over centuries, remind us that security is an art of specifics.
Whether safeguarding a sprawling empire or a modest organisation, the key lies in a tailored approach. With a consultancy like ICARAS, you can channel Roman wisdom into modern practice, protecting your own dominion with the same calculated zeal. Have an empire—or a republic—to defend? Reach out. And if you’re feeling classical, encode your message with a Caesar Cipher. Just don’t forget the key!