The Saint Paul City Minnesota, is grappling with a severe cybersecurity breach that forced officials to shut down internal digital systems and declare a local emergency. Mayor Melvin Carter confirmed that the disruption, first detected on Friday, was not a routine outage but a “deliberate, coordinated digital attack” on municipal infrastructure.

By Monday, most city systems were taken offline as a containment measure, impacting core operations such as internal communications, public Wi‑Fi in government buildings, library checkouts, and online bill payment portals. Despite the shutdown, emergency services including 911 remain operational, though backend systems have experienced delays.

City CIO Jaime Wascalus stated that operations will only resume once experts can ensure the environment is secure.

State and Federal Agencies Join Massive Cyber Response

The gravity of the breach prompted Mayor Carter to request assistance from the Minnesota National Guard, which activated its cyber protection team to help the city investigate and mitigate the threat. In tandem, the FBI and two national cybersecurity firms have joined the response effort.

Governor Tim Walz approved the deployment and emphasized the attack’s sophistication, stating it exceeded the city’s existing digital response capabilities. A citywide state of emergency declaration was made to accelerate support and resources, with the Office of Emergency Management and Department of Technology and Communications coordinating restoration efforts.

As of now, there has been no confirmation of data theft or ransom demands. Officials are treating this as an “active cybersecurity event,” with no timeline announced for full recovery.

Saint Paul City Residents Advised to Take Precautions as Impact Widens

While public safety services remain functional, many residents have experienced service disruptions. Library systems are down, digital payment platforms are offline, and internal city communications are limited. City websites have issued notices advising patience and caution.

Cybersecurity experts suspect the breach may have originated from phishing or credential compromise—a common tactic in large-scale digital intrusions. Residents and employees have been urged to monitor their bank accounts, change passwords, and remain alert for suspicious emails or activity.

The incident mirrors past high-profile municipal attacks, such as the 2019 ransomware attack on Baltimore, which cost millions and paralyzed the city for weeks. Experts say this underscores the urgent need for robust cyber defense at the local government level.

As Saint Paul City works to assess the full scope of the damage, the attack stands as a stark reminder of how deeply digital threats can disrupt public life in modern cities.