Minnesota Deploys National Guard After Crippling Cyberattack on St. Paul

The state of Minnesota has taken the unprecedented step of deploying National Guard cybersecurity units following a sophisticated attack that has crippled St. Paul's digital infrastructure since Tuesday. Governor Tim Walz declared a state of emergency as multiple city systems remain offline, including traffic control, emergency dispatch, and municipal payment systems.

Technical analysis suggests the attackers employed a multi-vector approach combining ransomware with targeted system disruption. Early forensic evidence points to the possible use of compromised administrative credentials combined with a previously unseen variant of data-wiping malware. The attack's precision against operational technology systems has raised concerns about insider knowledge or extensive reconnaissance.

'This isn't just data encryption—it's systematic infrastructure sabotage,' said state CISO Mark Johnson. Recovery efforts are complicated by the attackers' apparent knowledge of backup systems, with secondary systems also compromised in what appears to be a carefully planned operation.

The National Guard's cyber battalion is working with CISA and FBI cyber teams to restore services while investigating the attack's origins. Homeland Security advisors note concerning similarities to recent attacks on European energy grids, though no group has claimed responsibility.

Business continuity experts warn the St. Paul attack demonstrates how vulnerable mid-sized cities remain to sophisticated threats. 'Municipalities have become the new soft target,' noted MITRE's urban infrastructure security lead. 'Attackers know these systems often lack the protections of federal or corporate networks.'

The incident has reignited debates about federal cybersecurity standards for local governments and emergency funding for infrastructure hardening. With damages estimated in the tens of millions and critical services still offline, Minnesota's response may set important precedents for handling large-scale municipal cyber incidents.