CrowdStrike agrees to buy 2 AI startups and adds a kill switch

CrowdStrike, a security company, said on Tuesday that it will buy Fiddler AI and Dreadnode. Fiddler makes tools that show the decisions and acts of AI agents. Dreadnode tests AI systems with known attacks before use. The Wall Street Journal reports a combined price of $495 million. CrowdStrike did not give the price. It also released a kill switch that stops rogue agents.

How it works

Fiddler will become Falcon Observe. It shows the decisions and tool use of agents, and keeps audit records. Dreadnode uses more than 100 known attack methods, such as prompt injection, which is hidden text that makes a model break its rules.

The new AI Kill Switch stops agents through gateway controls, stops a relaunch and cuts network access. A stop on devices comes after this release.

The numbers

The Wall Street Journal says Fiddler costs about $400 million and Dreadnode about $95 million. CrowdStrike will pay with cash and some stock. The 2 deals must close in fiscal fourth quarter of 2027. CrowdStrike gave no test results for the kill switch.

What is not known

CrowdStrike did not make sure of the prices. The company gave no date for the stop on devices. It did not say how fast the kill switch acts.

Insight: One vendor now sells test, monitor and stop for agents

In October 2026, CrowdStrike said a China-linked group used AI agents on more than 200 organizations. The group told them to find computers with no CrowdStrike sensor. At this time, CrowdStrike gets a tester and a monitor, and sells a stop tool. This reads as a move to hold each control point for agents, and a customer can want the full set. Find out if the tools work together.