Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called in the National Guard after a huge cyberattack prompted safety concerns in St. Paul.
In the early hours of last Friday, the city’s cybersecurity protection systems detected “suspicious activity” on its network, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said during a Tuesday press conference.
“We now know this was not a system glitch or technical error. This was a deliberate, coordinated, digital attack, carried out by a sophisticated external actor, intentionally and criminally targeting our city’s information infrastructure,” Carter warned.
In response to the cyberattack and at the request of the city, Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, issued an executive order activating cyber protection assets from the Minnesota National Guard.
“We are committed to working alongside the City of Saint Paul to restore cybersecurity as quickly as possible,” Walz said in a statement released by his office on Tuesday.
He continued: “The Minnesota National Guard’s cyber forces will collaborate with city, state, and federal officials to resolve the situation and mitigate lasting impacts. Above all, we are committed to protecting the safety and security of the people of Saint Paul.”
Carter said at the press conference local officials took “swift action to defend our systems” by retaining two cybersecurity firms “to support our recovery” and working with local, state and federal law enforcement, including the FBI, “to trace the source and scope of the breach.”
Local officials shut down the city’s information systems on Monday “to contain the threat,” which is the source of some outages, including the loss of Wi-Fi in city buildings, according to the mayor.
Carter said later in the press conference that 911 services were operating “as normal,” but the city has experienced some “back-end” challenges.
“We recognize that these outages have created inconveniences for residents and city staff alike. While these disruptions are difficult, they are necessary steps to limit exposure, preserve system integrity, and protect sensitive information as our investigation and recovery efforts continue,” Carter said.
The mayor said the National Guard’s cyber security experts were “actively assisting” the city.
Carter also noted he was issuing a local declaration of emergency “to give our teams the tools we need to move quickly and respond with the urgency this situation demands.”
