2025 St. Paul cyberattack
The 2025 St. Paul cyberattack was a cyberattack that started on July 25, 2025, which lead to the deployment of the National Guard in Minnesota due to, what officials stated, the magnitude and complexity of the attack.[1]
Attack
[edit]On July 29, 2025, the City of St. Paul faced a significant cyberattack that led to the activation of the Minnesota National Guard and a declaration of a state of emergency. The attack, which began on July 25, 2025, disrupted core city systems, including internal networks, online payment portals, and public Wi-Fi.[2] The attack was detected as suspicious activity on July 25, 2025, which was the first signs of the attack.[3] The attack was identified as a "deliberate, coordinated digital attack" by a sophisticated external actor targeting critical city infrastructure.[4]
The incident persisted through the weekend from July 25 to July 27, disrupting service operations.[5] To prevent escalation, city officials shut down all information systems on July 27, 2025 as a defensive measure.[6] On July 28, 2025, A full shutdown of systems began, impacting Wi-Fi at City Hall and public libraries, disabling online payment tools, and suspending network access for internal department applications.[7] Though essential emergency services, including 911 dispatch, were still completely operational.[8]
On early July 29, 2025, Mayor of St. Paul Melvin Carter publicly confirmed it was not a glitch, but a criminal cyberattack. He declared a local state of emergency empowering rapid mobilization.[9] The city of St. Paul engaged with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist in containment and investigation.[10] By late July 29, 2025, Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz issued an executive order activating the Minnesota National Guard’s cyber protection assets, stating the attack exceeded the city's response capabilities.[11] The deployment was intended to bolster response efforts and mitigate further impacts.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Fischer, Samantha (2025-07-29). "MN National Guard deployed; St. Paul declares state of emergency in response to cyberattack". KARE. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ McCabe, Addie (2025-07-29). "Gov. Walz activates MN National Guard to respond to Saint Paul cyberattack". KTTC. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Murphy, Mary (2025-07-29). "Gov. Walz activates Minnesota National Guard over St. Paul cyberattack". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. ISSN 0895-1292. OCLC 9563116. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Bettin, Anthony (2025-07-29). "Gov. Walz activates Minnesota National Guard to aid St. Paul after cyberattack". CBS News. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ McCabe, Addie (2025-07-29). "Gov. Walz activates MN National Guard to respond to St. Paul cyberattack". KEYC-TV. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "Minnesota calls in National Guard after St. Paul slammed by 'digital attack'". Reuters. 2025-07-29. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Albertson-Grove, Josie. "Major cyberattack hits St. Paul, shuts down many services". Minnesota Star Tribune. ISSN 2641-9556. OCLC 43369847. Archived from the original on 2025-07-29. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Reddekopp, Morgan (2025-07-29). "Minnesota National Guard activated, state of emergency declared after cyberattack against St. Paul". KSTP-TV. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "Major cyberattack hits St. Paul, shuts down many services". Austin Daily Herald. 2025-07-29. ISSN 0746-9713. OCLC 9870692. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Gendron, Michael (2025-07-29). "Gov. Walz activates Minnesota National Guard after Saint Paul cyberattack". WDIO-DT. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Brownell, Andy (2025-07-29). "Governor Walz Activates Guard for St. Paul Cyberattack". KROC-AM. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Ornat, Marisa (2025-07-29). "Governor Walz Activates Minnesota National Guard Following Saint Paul Cyberattack". KBJR-TV. Retrieved 2025-07-29.