Gov. Tim Walz issued the executive order Tuesday afternoon, while the city declared a state of emergency.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order to activate the National Guard Tuesday after the city of St. Paul became the target of a cyberattack.
According to the governor’s office, the order took effect immediately.
“We are committed to working alongside the City of Saint Paul to restore cybersecurity as quickly as possible,” said Governor Walz in a statement.
“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.”
Officials said the “magnitude and complexity” of the attack exceeded the city’s response capacity, necessitating cyber protection support from the Guard. The attack also prompted the city to declare a state of emergency.
At a press conference, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter stated that the city has “limited” data on residents who are not employed by the city and asked those who are to remain vigilant about their personal data. He added that the attack is contained to city systems.
On its website, the city said the attack had temporarily impacted access to most of its internal systems and online services. A city official told KARE 11 the city itself took those services down as a “defensive measure.”
However, emergency services like 911 and some city services do remain online. You can see a list of all of those services here.
As of midday Tuesday, it wasn’t clear who was behind the attack, but the city said it’s “working closely with local, state, and federal partners to resolve the situation and restore full functionality.”
According to city officials, federal agencies, including the FBI, are currently leading the investigation.
This is a developing story.
