What is the best course of action if you are a victim of ransomware and the hackers have stolen your data? Should you pay the ransom or not?

Deleting ransomware-infected files may remove the immediate threat, but it does not guarantee that the PC will return to normal. Ransomware can cause system damage beyond the files it infects, and there may be residual effects or lingering malware on the system. It is advisable to run thorough antivirus scans, restore files from backups (if available), and ensure the system is fully secure before considering it back to normal.