Minnesota National Guard Activates Amid St Paul Cyber Attack, City Declares State of Emergency

Local, state, and federal agencies are intensively investigating a cyberattack on the City of St. Paul that has triggered a significant response effort involving multiple stakeholders. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced the activation of the Minnesota National Guard at the city's request, highlighting the severity of the cybersecurity incident. The Governor's Office stated that the complexity and magnitude of the attack surpassed the city’s capacity to respond adequately.

Governor Walz emphasized the importance of collaboration among city, state, and federal entities, with the National Guard’s cyber forces playing a critical role in mitigating the impact of the attack and restoring cybersecurity. This coordinated effort aims to safeguard the safety and security of St. Paul’s residents and to promptly restore the city's digital infrastructure.

St. Paul’s Mayor Melvin Carter declared a local state of emergency in light of the attack. The city has engaged two national cybersecurity firms alongside the activation of its emergency operations center. Mayor Carter clarified that the incident was not a result of any technical glitch or error, but a deliberate and sophisticated attack by external malicious actors targeting the city’s information infrastructure.

Jaime Wascalus, director of the city’s Office of Technology and Communications, affirmed the city as a victim of a serious crime and underscored the mobilization of resources from local, state, and federal partners in real-time efforts to investigate and respond to the threat. Federal agencies, including the FBI, are leading the investigation to determine the perpetrators behind the attack.

In an unprecedented defensive measure, the city fully shut down its information systems to contain the cyber threat. This shutdown has led to disruptions in accessing online services and impacted several internal applications. Despite these setbacks, emergency services like 911 continue to operate normally. Nonetheless, there are significant disruptions, such as loss of Wi-Fi in city buildings and interruptions to libraries’ collections management systems.

City officials are urging vigilance regarding personal data, particularly for city employees while ensuring community-wide operations remain stable. Mayor Carter reassured that although some internal systems are affected, efforts are concentrated on ensuring emergency response services are uninterrupted.

The executive order by Governor Walz, which activated portions of the Minnesota National Guard, is part of the broader effort to address the breach that initially occurred on Friday. This incident has persisted, causing substantial disruptions and impairing St. Paul’s ability to provide important services. The ongoing investigation seeks to uncover which systems were accessed and ascertain any potential data breaches, urging caution among the city's staff in digital security practices.

The situation continues to evolve, with municipal staff working tirelessly to resolve the incident and restore full system functionality. As investigations spearheaded by federal agencies, including the FBI, are underway, the focus remains on understanding the intricacies of the attack and ensuring the continuity of vital services for the citizens of St. Paul.