Key Points:
- St. Paul declares a state of emergency after a “deliberate, coordinated digital attack” on city systems.
- Minnesota National Guard deployed to support cyber defense efforts.
- FBI and private cybersecurity firms are investigating the breach.
Cyberattack Forces Full System Shutdown in St. Paul
The City of St. Paul, Minnesota is grappling with the fallout of a serious cyberattack that has crippled its digital infrastructure, prompting Governor Tim Walz to activate the Minnesota National Guard. Officials say the scope and sophistication of the incident overwhelmed the city’s internal response capacity.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter confirmed in a Tuesday press conference that the breach, detected Friday morning, was not a technical glitch but a “deliberate, coordinated digital attack” by a sophisticated external actor.
In response, the city shut down its entire information system to prevent further damage. This decision has led to widespread disruptions in city services — including Wi-Fi in municipal buildings, online payment portals, public libraries, and recreation centers.
While some operations remain paralyzed, emergency services like 911 are still fully functional. Non-emergency public safety concerns, however, must now be reported through an alternative number. Officials have emphasized that no evidence currently suggests the cyberattack has affected private citizen data or posed a direct threat to residents’ safety.
“We are the victims of a serious crime,” said Jaime Wascalus, Director of the Office of Technology and Communications. “We are working with local, state, and federal partners to fully understand and neutralize the threat before restoring any services.”
State of Emergency Declared, Cybersecurity Experts Called In
The mayor has declared a local state of emergency, enabling swift mobilization of resources and inter-agency collaboration. The Minnesota National Guard’s cyber protection unit was deployed after the city’s request for assistance. Governor Walz stated the complexity of the cyberattack justified the Guard’s involvement, calling the incident “beyond the city’s response capacity.”
“We are committed to working alongside the City of Saint Paul to restore cybersecurity as quickly as possible,” Walz said, promising the Guard would collaborate closely with city, state, and federal officials.
Two unnamed national cybersecurity firms have been contracted to aid in the investigation, and the FBI has confirmed it is providing support. While the nature of the attack has not been officially disclosed, experts speculate ransomware could be involved, a common method in recent high-profile municipal cyberattacks.
Local cybersecurity analysts warn that attacks like this often begin with a simple phishing email, exploiting a single point of access to compromise entire systems.
Despite the lack of a definitive timeline, officials remain cautious. “We will not restore services until we have complete confidence in our understanding of the incident,” Wascalus stressed.