FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2025
Jennifer “JLor” Lor
JLor@ci.stpaul.mn.us
(651) 417-9454
Today, Mayor Carter will declare a state of emergency in response to a digital security incident disrupting the City of Saint Paul’s internal systems and some city services. The emergency declaration authorizes the city’s departments of Emergency Management and Office of Technology and Communications (OTC) to mobilize support from local, state, and federal partners to lead an effective and coordinated response.
“Protecting the integrity of our city’s digital infrastructure is critical to the safety and wellbeing of our residents and citywide operations,” said Mayor Carter. “While this security incident disrupted some of our internal systems, our top priority remains ensuring our emergency response continues without interruption.”
Early Friday morning, the city’s information and security team was alerted to suspicious activity on the city’s internal systems, prompting an immediate investigation that confirmed malicious threat actors were coordinating a digital attack. In close consultation with local and external partners, city leaders proactively restricted access to targeted internal systems and then initiated a full network shutdown to contain the threat.
“We are the victim of a serious crime,” said OTC Director Jaime Wascalus. “In response, we have mobilized every available local, state, and federal partner to support our investigation and response efforts. We continue to assess this situation in real time.”
To lead response efforts and assess the full extent of the breach, the city activated its Emergency Operations Center. City staff are working around the clock with national cybersecurity partners, the Minnesota Information Technology Services team, and federal law enforcement to investigate the incident, implement containment strategies, and rebuild secure systems.
While the city’s network remains offline as a precaution, all mission-critical operations, including emergency response and public safety services remain fully operational. The full extent of the attack, including whether any sensitive information was accessed, remains under investigation.
The most updated information about city services is available on stpaul.gov. View Mayor Carter's remarks as prepared for delivery.
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