As hacking has become more destructive and pervasive, a powerful type of tool from companies including CrowdStrike Holdings and Microsoft has become a boon for the cybersecurity industry.
Called endpoint detection and response software, it’s designed to spot early signs of malicious activity on laptops, servers and other devices — "endpoints” on a computer network — and block them before intruders can steal data or lock the machines.
But experts say that hackers have developed workarounds for some forms of the technology, allowing them to slip past products that have become the gold standard for protecting critical systems.