Nation & World Has Homeland Security kept up with its mission? Former DHS secretary says U.S. safer now than before 9/11, agency has largely successfully evolved with emerging threats Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer September 9, 2026 7 min read AP Photo/Alex Brandon The attacks against the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, exposed critical gaps in information-sharing among key security agencies. In response, the government brought together 22 federal entities to form the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to better anticipate and address the threat of terrorism from overseas and to strengthen coordination among various emergency-response agencies. Now the third-largest Cabinet-level depart...