I do agree with the quote because the world is changing, and the government's security has to change also. The world is now technology and data based. The older methods of secret agents dressed in their Sherlock Homes hats and trench coats are gone. The government focuses on finding terrorits and creating a more efficent way of rooting them out - the internet and communication. Since people communicate around the world, there can be increased activity going on. The Patriot Act simply expands upon the government's powers to track crime. The Patriot Act also punishes terrorist activity harsher than before.
Although I do agree with the quote, that doesn't mean I agree with the terms in which the government follows through with it. The data mining is necessary, but keeping the non vital records are not. What I mean here is when the government sifts through the key words and nothing of suspicion is found, then the information should be erased. The Patriot Act mentions the government must do what's necessary, but standards for data mining aren't exactly covered. Overall, I think the government is protecting our security, but the protocol in which they do is questionable.