Saint Paul Minnesota Cyber Attack Spurs National Guard Deployment as City Declares Emergency

Local, state, and federal agencies are currently investigating a cyberattack on the City of St. Paul, Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz has announced the activation of the Minnesota National Guard to assist the city's response efforts, indicating the severity of the situation as it overwhelms existing municipal capacity. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter declared a local state of emergency at a news conference, stating the city has engaged two national cybersecurity firms and activated its emergency operations center to manage the crisis. The cyber incident was first detected by St. Paul's cybersecurity systems on Friday morning when suspicious activity was identified on the city’s network. Mayor Carter emphasized the deliberate nature of the attack, which was coordinated by an external threat actor targeting the city’s digital infrastructure with criminal intent.

The city has fully shut down its information systems as a defensive measure to contain the threat. This action has led to disruptions in access to various online services and internal systems. While the precise extent of compromised information remains unclear, the city's efforts are focused on assessing and resolving the situation in real time. Emergency services, including 911, remain operational, although there are ongoing backend challenges. Other impacts include loss of Wi-Fi in city buildings, library system disruptions, and suspended network access for multiple internal applications.

In response to the incident, local, state, and federal partnerships have been mobilized, including involvement from the FBI. Governor Walz reiterated a commitment to working with St. Paul to restore cybersecurity swiftly, leveraging the National Guard's cyber forces to collaborate with city, state, and federal officials to mitigate lasting impacts and uphold public safety and security.

The Office of Technology and Communications Director Jaime Wascalus stressed the seriousness of the cyberattack, describing it as a criminal act against the city. The city and its partners are conducting a thorough investigation and implementing response measures to contain and address the threat.

Carter noted that city employees have not been informed of any ransom demands, nor has there been speculation made about the attacker’s motives. There is ongoing work to ascertain which, if any, private information may have been compromised in the attack.

St. Paul's emergency systems remain fully functional, ensuring continued access to critical services. Despite the disruptions, libraries and recreation centers are open, though without wireless internet. Governor Walz issued an executive order activating the National Guard, highlighting the complexity of the attack which has exceeded the city's response capacity.

Residents are urged to remain vigilant about their personal data, although there is no indication of direct threats to individual citizens outside of city systems. The city's primary focus remains on maintaining operational integrity and ensuring unimpeded emergency response capabilities. Federal agencies, including the FBI, are leading the investigation to identify and resolve the situation.

The cyberattack on St. Paul serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by municipal governments in the digital age, underscoring the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and cross-agency collaboration in combating such threats effectively.