We face a growing, insidious threat from terrorist movements around the world. But we can limit its growth, and perhaps reverse it, by ensuring broad access to technology and the information it delivers. The leaders of corporations, governments, and communities who understand this principle -- and are driven by its urgency -- will also realize social, economic, and business growth as an outcome.

With the world population at 6.5 billion, there remain 5.5 billion people who don't have access to the Internet. Recent data reveals that of the 1 billion Internet users, 81% reside in 20 of the roughly 240 countries and territories worldwide. The U.S. comprises 4.6% of the total world population, and Internet penetration here stands at roughly 69%. By contrast, Africa's population accounts for a little more than 14% of the world, but only roughly 3% of that continent's people have access to the Internet. In South Asia, where more than half of the world's population lives, Internet access stands at 8.9%.

Developing countries, with their enormous populations, are having an increasingly vital voice in the direction of the global economy and political stability. According to the United Nations, the world's population is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. The vast majority of the