Minnesota Activates National Guard After Large-Scale Saint Paul Cyberattack

In response to a deliberate and coordinated cyberattack on Saint Paul, Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz activated the state's National Guard, including its cyber protection teams, as the scale and complexity of the attack exceeded the city's response capacity. The attack led to a complete shutdown of Saint Paul's municipal information systems, causing widespread service disruptions such as WiFi outages in city buildings, offline payments, and interruptions in libraries and recreation centers. Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter declared a state of emergency and emphasized the critical need to protect the city's digital infrastructure and residents' safety. The city engaged two external firms to assist in recovery and is working closely with the FBI and federal agencies to investigate the incident. While specifics of the attack have not been disclosed, its pattern resembles ransomware operations aimed at paralyzing systems. The Minnesota National Guard’s cyber forces are collaborating with city, state, and federal officials to resolve the situation and mitigate lasting impacts.