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CrowdStrike moved to deepen its position in artificial intelligence security on Tuesday, announcing agreements to acquire two startups focused on monitoring and testing AI systems. The cybersecurity company also introduced a tool that lets defenders shut down AI agents when their behavior strays from its intended purpose.

The combined purchase price for Fiddler AI and Dreadnode is $495 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. CrowdStrike shares gained more than 2% in early trading, providing an immediate market response to the company’s expansion of its AI security capabilities.

CrowdStrike said it signed an agreement to acquire Fiddler AI, a startup that develops tools designed to help companies track their AI systems. The proposed acquisition would bring that technology into CrowdStrike as businesses confront the challenge of maintaining visibility over increasingly active AI tools.

The company separately announced an agreement to acquire Dreadnode, which develops tools that test AI systems for security vulnerabilities. The two agreements address different parts of AI security, with one centered on tracking systems and the other focused on finding weaknesses through testing.

CrowdStrike said Dreadnode’s technology will allow its Falcon platform to continuously scan AI models, applications, and agents for potential security weaknesses before deployment. That approach places the vulnerability search before the systems begin operating in their intended environments.

The acquisitions put AI models, applications, and agents within the security work CrowdStrike plans to conduct through Falcon. Rather than limiting the effort to a single type of AI system, the announced capability is intended to examine several elements involved in enterprise AI use.

CrowdStrike also announced the AI Kill Switch in Falcon Guardian, giving security teams direct control over AI agents. The tool is designed for circumstances in which an agent deviates from the behavior intended by the company deploying it.

If an AI agent moves outside that intended behavior, a defender can terminate it wherever it is running. The defender can also prevent the agent from launching again, creating an additional barrier against the same agent resuming its activity.

The AI Kill Switch includes another layer of control by allowing security teams to cut off an agent’s access to an enterprise network. Together, those functions give defenders options to stop the agent, block its return, and separate it from company systems.

The announcement emphasizes operational control as companies deploy AI agents. CrowdStrike’s approach combines monitoring and vulnerability testing with the ability to intervene after an agent begins running if its conduct no longer matches what was intended.

“AI safety is how you get the full benefit of AI. When you deploy agents with a kill switch, you stay in control,” said George Kurtz, CEO and founder of CrowdStrike, in a press release.

Kurtz’s statement places control at the center of the company’s AI safety message. The newly announced tool is meant to provide that control through termination, relaunch prevention, and the removal of enterprise network access when a security team determines action is necessary.

The two startup agreements expand that strategy beyond the kill switch itself. Fiddler AI brings tools for tracking AI systems, while Dreadnode brings technology for testing those systems for vulnerabilities before they are deployed.

Earlier concerns that AI would disrupt traditional business models have not prevented cybersecurity companies from benefiting from the rise of agentic AI. According to the source, agentic AI is increasing demand for verification and authentication, creating an expanding security requirement around the technology.

CrowdStrike’s Tuesday announcements bring those demands together in its Falcon platform and Falcon Guardian. The company is pursuing startup technology for tracking and testing AI while offering defenders a mechanism to stop agents that depart from their intended behavior.

Investors responded by pushing CrowdStrike shares more than 2% higher in early trading. The move followed news of the $495 million combined purchase price and the company’s plans to add continuous scanning and stronger controls over AI agents.

DISCLAIMER: GoldInvestors.news is not a registered investment, legal or tax advisor or broker/dealer. All investment/financial opinions expressed by GoldInvestors.news are from the personal research and experience of the owner of the site and are intended as educational material. Although best efforts are made to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date, occasionally unintended errors and misprints may occur.