On September 11, 2001, the terrorist group Al-Qaeda carried out a series of attacks against the United States. This group sent two planes to the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and a third plane to the Pentagon just outside Washington, DC. The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania as passengers attempted to regain control. Nearly 3,000 people died. As fear spread among the population, the U.S. government was quick to pass new legislation intended to address the problems facing the nation. On October 26, 2001, the Bush administration passed the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act, generally referred to simply as the "Patriot Act." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Advances in technology are bringing a myriad of new positive changes to our society; however, it can also be exploited for more nefarious purposes. Terrorism, as a result of these technological advances, has become increasingly difficult to prevent and investigate. Before the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States had not sufficiently updated its laws to combat terrorism that could use technology. For example, technology facilitates communication between people within a country and even abroad. Although it can be carried out in one place, terrorism can be planned in my different regions. Law enforcement should obtain multiple warrants wherever terrorist crimes were committed. Now, under the Patriot Act, law enforcement can obtain a warrant in any district where a terrorist crime was committed, even if they do not execute it in that same district. The Patriot Act also updates the law on technology by giving law enforcement more capabilities to help victims of computer hacking. If an individual was the victim of a burglary, they could invite law enforcement to their property to obtain evidence, thus being able to make an arrest. The Patriot Act treats those who enter electronically the same as those who do so physically. This means that victims of hacking can allow law enforcement access to their computer. Such changes have helped make achieving national security easier and more effective. Law enforcement no longer needs to investigate and arrest terrorists in a tedious manner; the law helps create faster passage for law enforcement, ensuring the security of our nation from terrorist threats or attacks. In pursuing the investigation and prosecution of organized crime and drug trafficking, law enforcement had certain capabilities to assist. Prior to the passage of the Patriot Act, these powers, which were used constitutionally for decades, were not available to terrorism investigators. Now, these powers have been extended to terrorism investigators. One of these powers is the “reasonable time” for serving search warrants. This means that, in certain circumstances, law enforcement can delay disclosure about the execution of a search warrant. This prevents criminals from being informed and taking action to prevent law enforcement from being able to prosecute them - fleeing, destroying evidence, etc. Another power that the Patriot Act gives to.