A cyberattack against St. Paul, Minnesota, showed just how quickly a digital security problem can become a major municipal emergency.
In July 2025, the city discovered suspicious activity on its computer network and began shutting down systems as officials worked to contain the intrusion. What initially appeared to be a technical disruption was ultimately identified as a deliberate cyberattack by an external criminal actor.
The incident became serious enough for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to activate cyber-protection personnel from the Minnesota National Guard—the first activation of the Guard’s cyber protection team within the state.
For residents, the episode offered a glimpse into a problem that is becoming increasingly difficult for local governments to ignore.
How the St. Paul Attack Unfolded
According to the city, its cybersecurity systems detected suspicious activity during the early hours of July 25, 2025.
Officials immediately began investigating and isolating affected systems. Over the following days, additional protective measures were taken, including disabling VPN access for most employees and ultimately shutting down the broader city network to prevent the attacker from moving further through the system.
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