Ransomware is a still young threat, but currently probably the most dangerous. Hidden in e-mail attachments and software downloads or links links the malicious software to the PC and encrypts important or equal data. In order to be able to use this again, the victim is to pay a ransom to the criminal authors of the Ransomware - blank blackmail thus.

Also and above all the Ransomware Locky makes itself in many variants of itself speak. Overall, the threat is so acute that the Federal Office for Security in Information Technology has published a theme paper on Ransomware.

In this, the experts advise the user to display encryption attacks and not to respond to ransom claims: payments motivated the blackmailers only further. And anyway, there is no guarantee that you will get the key after a payment in order to use your own data again.

Trojans have replaced classic viruses

"If the Ransomware uses a good encryption, one can only hope that a decoding tool will be developed," says Dennis Schirrmacher from the Heise Security specialist. For one or the other Ransomware, manufacturers of anti-virus software already offer such tools. The affected hard disk should be removed for security, in order not to endanger other storage devices.