A decade has now passed since the tragic attacks of 9/11, when terrorists exploited our nation's aviation system to kill nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children, including citizens of more than 90 countries.

Now, 10 years after the worst terrorist attacks ever on American soil, America is stronger and more resilient than ever before. But threats from terrorism persist and challengers remain.

Over the past decade, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made great strides to secure our nation against a large attack or disaster, to protect our critical infrastructure and cyber networks, and to engage a broader range of Americans in the shared responsibility for security.

Together with their many partners across the federal government, the public and private sectors, and in communities across the country and around the world, the DHS has worked to build and strengthen a homeland security enterprise that mitigates and defends against dynamic threats, minimizes risks, and maximizes our ability to respond to — and recover from — attacks and disasters of all kinds.

Together, these efforts have provided a strong foundation to protect communities from terrorism and other threats, while safeguarding the fundamental rights of all Americans.

While defending against this evolving threat is the founding mission of DHS, no federal agency — or any part of government — can, by itself, deliver security. Perhaps more than at any point in our nation's history, we share in this responsibility.

Homeland security begins with hometown security, and we all have a role to play.

Department of Homeland Defense