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St. Paul Confirms Ransomware Breach, Launches Citywide Password Reset

Officials initiated Operation Secure St. Paul to reset passwords for 3,500 employees before phasing city systems back online.

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Overview

  • St. Paul officials confirmed a sophisticated ransomware attack and said they shut down city networks instead of paying a ransom.
  • Operation Secure St. Paul requires a global password reset for roughly 3,500 employees over the next three days to lock down systems.
  • FBI agents and a Minnesota National Guard cybersecurity unit are leading forensic investigations that so far show no evidence of resident data exfiltration.
  • Mayor Melvin Carter said critical systems will begin coming back online within a week after employee devices are inspected and secured.
  • Non-emergency services such as library Wi-Fi and online payment portals have been offline for weeks and are set to be restored gradually following the security overhaul.