Ransomware: „Der schlimmste Fehler ist ein CEO, der fragt: Wie zahle ich?“
Cyber-Attacken legen ganze Produktionen lahm und treffen zunehmend auch den Mittelstand. Zwei Experten erklären, wie Firmen mit Erpressern verhandeln sollten – und sich besser schützen können.
Ransomware, a form of extortion software, has become one of the biggest business risks, not just for large corporations but particularly for Germany's small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2025, according to the German Interior Ministry, there were 1,041 reported ransomware attacks, a 10% increase from the previous year. During a ransomware attack, criminals encrypt whole IT systems and demand a ransom, usually in the form of Bitcoin, and often threaten to release stolen data beforehand.
But how can companies defend themselves against this threat? How can they regain control in such a situation? And which mistakes are particularly costly in the first hours? Crisis negotiators Michael Sjøberg, who previously specialized in hostage situations for the Danish military, and Peter Skovbo, who leads the Swiss consulting firm Delta Crisis founded by Sjøberg, explain in an interview. Mr. Sjøberg, if a company calls you during a cyberattack, what has typically already gone wrong?
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
