The cybersecurity arms race just escalated again—and this time, traditional endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions are falling behind.
As reported by The Register on March 31, ransomware crews are now actively deploying “EDR killers”—tools that disable, uninstall, or bypass EDR and antivirus solutions before launching attacks. What’s worse? Some of these tools aren’t even malware in the traditional sense.
This is a wake-up call for business owners. If your cybersecurity strategy still relies on detection and response, you’re playing defense in a game where the offense already knows your next move.
According to the article, ransomware operators are integrating EDR-disabling utilities like Terminator and EDRSandBlast into their attack chains. These utilities exploit legitimate tools and admin-level privileges to either stop endpoint security agents or outright remove them.
The article highlights that “EDR killers” can now be as simple as misusing Microsoft’s own Process Explorer or PowerShell scripts to terminate protective services. In some cases, attackers don't need malware at all—just admin rights and clever scripting.
And once your detection tool is offline? It’s open season for ransomware.
EDR has long been the gold standard for endpoint protection. But its core model—detecting signs of malicious behavior and responding in real time—is built on the assumption that it will always be there to see the threat.
But what if the very first thing a threat does is blind your EDR?
Here’s the critical weakness: EDR solutions are software agents running in user space. That means they can be found, targeted, and shut down just like any other application. Once they're gone, your systems are defenseless.
This is exactly what ransomware crews are now doing, and it's why we need a paradigm shift.
What if your endpoint protection couldn’t be seen, disabled, or bypassed?
AppGuard, a proven solution with over a decade of success in the highest-security environments, takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of trying to detect and respond to threats, AppGuard uses isolation and containment to prevent them from ever executing.
No signatures. AppGuard doesn’t rely on known malware patterns.
No real-time behavioral analysis. That means no lag, no delay—and no risk of being disabled first.
Invisible to attackers. AppGuard operates at a level where attackers can’t see or interfere with it.
In essence, AppGuard makes it impossible for malware—known or unknown—to launch in the first place. Even if a phishing email lands, even if a malicious attachment is opened, the system is protected because AppGuard enforces strict policies that prevent untrusted code from ever executing.
Ransomware is evolving. The bad guys aren’t just going after your data anymore—they’re going after your defenses first. And if you’re still relying on EDR alone, you’re assuming they won’t succeed.
The reality is: They already are.
The Register’s report makes it clear—ransomware crews are adapting, innovating, and bypassing traditional tools with alarming ease. It’s time for defenders to evolve, too.
If you're a business owner and you're still relying solely on “detect and respond” strategies, now is the time to reassess. Don’t wait for a breach to find out your EDR wasn’t enough.
At CHIPS, we help organizations protect their systems using AppGuard, a battle-tested endpoint protection solution built on isolation and containment—not detection and reaction. AppGuard is now available for commercial use, giving businesses like yours the same powerful defense once reserved for the most sensitive government environments.
Talk with us today about how AppGuard can prevent incidents like the one in The Register’s article—before ransomware finds your blind spot.
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