Jim Cramer Turns Bullish on a Cybersecurity Stock That Created an AI Kill Switch - BeInCrypto
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike unveiled a tool allowing companies to shut down misbehaving AI agents, receiving praise from CNBC's Jim Cramer who called it a 'GAME CHANGER.'
The tool, unveiled at CrowdStrike's Fal.Con Europe conference in Barcelona, enables administrators to halt running AI agents, prevent them from restarting, and cut their network access. Currently, the stop works at a gateway that agent traffic passes through, with employee computer shutdown functionality planned for later.
CrowdStrike also announced two acquisitions: Fiddler AI, which tracks agent behavior, and Dreadnode, which tests AI for vulnerabilities. The Wall Street Journal reported the combined purchase price near $495 million.
Analyst Reactions
Despite the positive reception, CrowdStrike stock has declined nearly 10% over the past week, partly due to profit-taking across cybersecurity stocks. Of 40 analysts tracked by TipRanks, 34 rate CRWD a Buy with an average target of $267.24, about 10.5% above Monday's close.
Every company is asking the same question about AI agents: can they be stopped? Now the answer is yes.
Deutsche Bank recently upgraded its rating to Buy from Hold, raising its price target to $300 from $240. Analyst Brad Zelnick cited 'a tsunami of cyber demand' and believes CrowdStrike's $565 billion market estimate for 2034 is conservative.
Market Skepticism
Not all experts are convinced. Forrester analyst Jeff Pollard told Forbes that today's AI agents could potentially circumvent the kill switch, as stopping an agent cannot undo its past actions. 'Finding ways to circumvent a kill switch is definitely within agentic capabilities of today's production agents,' he noted.
Rivals Okta and ServiceNow are developing similar controls, while in Washington, the House AI Kill Switch Act would require AI developers to include shutdown options. CrowdStrike stock has climbed about 107% this year despite recent volatility.
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