As we reflect this month on the five year anniversary of Sept. 11, many of us have thought back on how our personal or professional lives have changed in that time.

The term “port security” has undergone a complete transformation in five years. Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, port security meant illegal contraband. Today, while illegal contraband is still a focus, the duties of those departments and agencies that protect our ports are now concentrated on preventing acts of terrorism. But then, as now, nothing we do at the Maryland Port Administration is more important than keeping the Port of Baltimore (recently renamed the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore) safe and secure.