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.
Zug, ransomware, or extortion software, is now considered one of the biggest business risks, not just for large corporations but also for Germany's SMEs. In 2025, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, there were 1,041 ransomware attacks reported, a 10% increase from the previous year. In a ransomware attack, criminals encrypt entire IT systems and demand a ransom, usually in Bitcoin, often accompanied by the threat of publishing stolen data beforehand.
So, how can businesses defend themselves? How can they regain control in such situations? And what mistakes are particularly costly in the first few hours? Crisis negotiator Michael Sjøberg, formerly specialising in hostage situations for the Danish military, and Peter Skovbo, CEO of Swiss consultancy Delta Crisis, which was founded by Sjøberg, discuss this in an interview. Sjøberg, when a company calls you during a cyber attack, what has typically already gone wrong?
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- Ransomware: "The worst mistake is a CEO who asks: How do I pay?" handelsblatt.com
