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, Germany – Ransomware, a form of extortion software, has become one of the greatest business risks, not only for conglomerates but especially for the German small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2025, the Federal Ministry of the Interior reported 1,041 ransomware attacks, representing a ten percent increase compared to the previous year.
During a ransomware attack, criminals encrypt entire IT systems and demand a ransom – typically in Bitcoin, often coupled with the threat of publishing previously stolen data. But how can companies defend themselves? How can they regain control in such a situation? And which mistakes prove particularly costly in the first hours?
Crisis negotiators Michael Sjøberg, formerly specialized in hostage situations at the Danish military, and Peter Skovbo, who heads the Swiss consulting firm Delta Crisis established by Sjøberg, explain in an interview. When a company calls upon crisis negotiators during a cyberattack, what has typically gone wrong?
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