Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called in the National Guard into St. Paul after a major cyberattack has left its citizens vulnerable.
The incident occurred last Friday (July 25), when ‘suspicious activity’ was detected on the city’s network.
The alleged malware was discovered by the city’s cybersecurity protection systems, according to Melvin Carter, the mayor of St. Paul.
In a press conference held on Tuesday (July 29), Carter said: “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.”
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Walz has since released a statement where he said: “We are committed to working alongside the City of Saint Paul to restore cybersecurity as quickly as possible.
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.”
Walz, who was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2024 US election, has now issued an executive order to activate cyber protection assets from the Minnesota National Guard.
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The National Guard has put a team of cybersecurity experts to the task of ‘actively assisting’ the city, according to Carter.
During yesterday’s press conference, the mayor went on to share that local officials had taken ‘swift action to defend our systems’ by using two cybersecurity firms ‘to support our recovery’.
He revealed that the officials have also been working with the likes of the FBI in order ‘to trace the source and scope of the breach’.
Earlier this week, the threat was contained as officials shut down the city’s information systems and while this has resulted in a loss of WiFi connection for some residents, Carter has reassured the public that 911 services are operating ‘as normal’.
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He went on to share: “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.”
The mayor has also confirmed that he has issued a local declaration of emergency ‘to give our teams the tools we need to move quickly and respond with the urgency this situation demands’.
The source of the breach is yet to be uncovered.