Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Secret Service was moved from the Treasury Department to the newly formed in 2003. This move underscored the agency's role in national security. Today, the USSS operates with a "dual mission":
Ironically, the agency now synonymous with presidential protection was not created for that purpose. Founded in , the Secret Service was established as a division of the Department of the Treasury. Its primary mandate was to suppress the rampant counterfeiting that emerged during the Civil War, when nearly one-third of all U.S. currency in circulation was estimated to be fraudulent. For decades, the agency focused almost exclusively on financial crimes, investigating credit card fraud and electronic funds transfer fraud as technology advanced. 2. The Shift to Protection: A Reaction to Tragedy Secret Service
Former Presidents and their spouses (for life, though they can decline it). Major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. Visiting heads of foreign states and governments. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,