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Information is power.
That's hardly an unfamiliar assertion, but its meaning has changed dramatically in a world transformed by the Internet and related information technologies. That's no longer the case, because we now swim in a sea of information, gathered and shared by individuals and organizations of every possible description. As a result, power today resides in networks that collect and communicate information at speeds and efficiency unimaginable even a decade ago. Information keyed into a computer empowers an individual or institution. This information linked to a network can empower everyone connected to it, including nations or even the world.