Minnesota Governor Tim Walzactivated the National Guard in response to a devastating cyberattack that hit the city of St. Paul, the state capital, on Friday.
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The city is working with local, state and federal agencies to investigate the attack and fully restore systems functionality, while it has announced that emergency services have not been affected.
However, online payments are currently unavailable and some services at libraries and recreation centers remain temporarily down. The attack continued over the weekend, causing widespread disruptions across the city, affecting digital systems and critical services in St. Paul.
"St. Paul officials have been working tirelessly since the cyberattack was detected, in close coordination with Minnesota Information Services and an outside cybersecurity provider. Unfortunately, the scale and complexity of the incident exceeded the capabilities of both internal and commercial response mechanisms," an emergency executive order signed Tuesday said.
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The decision to send in cyber defense support from the Minnesota National Guard was made at the city's request after the consequences of the cyberattack exceeded St. Paul's response capabilities.
This move is intended to ensure the continuity of vital services for St. Paul residents, as well as safety and security, while efforts are underway to address the ongoing disruptions. “We are committed to working with the City of St. Paul to restore cybersecurity as quickly as possible,” Governor Walz said Tuesday.
The capital of Minnesota has a population of more than 311,000 and is the second largest city in the state, after Minneapolis.
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Such incidents reinforce the importance of cybersecurity at the local government level and urgently raise the issue of investing in prevention, staff training and cooperation with specialized bodies.
Source: bleepingcomputer
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