Ransomware: “The worst mistake is a CEO asking: How do I pay?”

Train. Ransomware, i.e. blackmail software, has long been considered one of the biggest business risks - not only for corporations, but especially for German medium-sized businesses. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, 1,041 ransomware attacks were reported in 2025, an increase of ten percent compared to the previous year.

During a ransomware attack, criminals encrypt entire IT systems and extort a ransom - usually in the form of Bitcoin and often with the threat of publishing previously stolen data.

How can companies defend themselves against this? How can they regain control in this situation? And which mistakes are particularly costly in the first few hours? This is what crisis negotiators Michael Sjøberg, a former Danish military specialist in hostage-taking, and Peter Skovbo, who runs the consulting company Delta Crisis founded by Sjøberg in Switzerland, explain in an interview.