A more optimistic tone for that statement is that Kaspersky Lab is officially a player on the big stage of security—a position it has sought since breaking out of Mother Russia in the early 2000s.
During a recent trip to Silicon Valley, I met with senior executives at Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro. When the conversation turned to the security landscape, Kaspersky wasn't just a part of the competitive set, but rather the chief up-and coming-rival that each was watching it their rearview mirrors. In fact, Kaspersky edged out traditionally stronger companies such as Sophos and ESET for the honor of being threatening.