Cybersecurity Breach in St. Paul Disrupts City Services, Prompts National Guard Response

A major St. Paul Cybersecurity Breach has severely disrupted city operations and public services, prompting a swift emergency response from local, state, and federal authorities. Spotted within the first hours of July 25, 2025, the hack also consisted of unauthorized and organized digital operations that exploited several internal systems. Responding, the City of St. Paul disconnected its networks, including payments via the internet, internal communication, and access to city services via the web, and its authorities were running to quell the threat.

The St. Paul Cybersecurity Breach overwhelmed local IT capabilities, leading city leaders to declare a local state of emergency by July 29. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz activated the state’s National Guard Cyber Protection Team to assist, marking a rare and serious escalation. The Guard is now working alongside Minnesota IT Services, national cybersecurity contractors, and the FBI to investigate the source of the attack, prevent further damage, and begin system recovery.

Most digital public services were put on hold with emergency services like 911 remaining operational. People were not allowed to access online billing of water and sewerage services and wireless internet services were turned off in libraries and other public places. Though no ransom has been made public, there is still a possibility of exposure of the data, officials said. The treatment of data belonging to residents does not seem to have been affected as first checks have revealed, though an investigation is still ongoing.

Mayor Melvin Carter said that St. Paul was attacked by someone who is highly skilled but external. He has pledged to ensure that he is transparent to the citizens and that systems will only be brought up after rigorous security check. The City recommended its employees to change their passwords and enable two-authentication factors as a precautionary measure.

The St. Paul Cybersecurity Breach has exposed significant vulnerabilities in municipal digital infrastructure, sparking conversations about the readiness of local governments to handle large-scale cyberattacks. Just as St. Paul recovers, cyber security experts are trying to get other cities to strengthen their fronts against the same. It is yet still unclear when the full system is to restore, because authorities focus more on safety and data protection rather than on how fast the recovery can be conducted.

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